Wake Up
by DarkAlphaWolf01
Summary: "I never knew what I was getting myself into at the time; all I was focused on was saving my friend. If only I wasn't so bloody impetuous and hot blooded! I've started something which could spell disaster for us all..." Full summary inside. Rated M for content. LiChee, BenMyra, PathroxOC. Warnings: violence, gore, heavy adult themes, death !TW!. Fan continuation of the 80's series.
1. Prologue

_**A/N: As I am working on 9 fanfictions at once, I have been trying to write as much as possible. Howether, this one is my main priority. I have been working on this fanfiction since the 14**__**th**__** of March last year. This story is in fact a SongFic, but doesn't contain the lyrics because the chapters are named after the song/s. There are many points in this story that nearly had me in tears, but I can't say because SPOILERS! FYI, like all of my stories, the perspectives change where it says -(BORDER)-**_

_**I know that this prologue seems rushed, but I have tried EXTREMELY hard because of preparations for exams and GCSE's, so I haven't had much time to write.**_

_**This story very loosely uses the Creepypasta Wake Up as a base for the first one (hence the name Wake Up), and the other stories are a continuation of this story. **_

_**Basic information about this story:**_

_**Genres: Romance/Drama/SongFic and other things**_

_**Warnings: Graphic violence, explicit language, and I expect that more will be added with later chapters**_

_**Date started: 14**__**th**__** March 2014**_

_**Date finished: N/A yet**_

_**Author: DarkAlphaWolf01**_

_**Chapters: Once finished, I expect this story to be 20+ chapters**_

_**Series: Yes, this Fanfiction is the first in a trilogy**_

_**Characters: All main canon characters and loads of original characters (My OC is in this trilogy)**_

_**Full summary: "I never knew what I was getting myself into at the time. All I was focused on was saving my friend. If only I wasn't so bloody impetuous and hot blooded! I've started something which could spell disaster for us all..." A year after the episode "The Book of Omens", everything is going well for the Thundercats, or so they thought. Little did they know that Mumm-ra wasn't defeated, and that he was plotting his revenge in hope to finally destroy them for good. **_

**Wake Up**

**Prologue**

I look over the ruins of what once was my home upon Third Earth. Rage, pure and fresh, runs through my body at the thought of what the wretched Thundercat lord Lion-O did to my pyramid. The insolent brat! First he defeats me then restores his home world back to what it was, then he beat me in hand-to-hand combat! There has to be a solution to this mass feline pest problem! I could crush Lion-O with one hand, yet the cub is stronger than me. Me? Mumm-ra the ever living? I'll tear his throat out with my bare hands if I have to! He must die! But…how? My best chances lie before me as rubble. Even without the Ancient Spirits of Evil I could rebuild my pyramid! Yes, that's just what I'll do!

Then, I could lure Lion-O to his death. Killing Mandora and Captain Bragg was easy. Now that the Mutants and Lunatacs are free, I can bring havoc on them! Terrorize their new city! "Ma-mutt," I shout at the top of my voice "Ma-mutt, I need you, my faithful undead hound!" The demonic hound materializes in front of me before jumping into my arms and licking my face. "Yes, I know. I love you too." I say as I stroke him, before whispering into his ears "We need to restore this pyramid if we want to succeed in our plan!"

I raise my right arm above my head as lightning streaks across the sky and thunder reverberates across the open sandy desert. "Ua'upes daaie houszt!" I roar, and point at the rubble. Slowly and sluggishly, my pyramid begins to rearrange itself. I chuckle to myself before turning to look behind me in the direction of Cat's Lair. Ever since the Thundercats had left for New Thundera, Tygra and Pumyra have been left behind to tend to the needs of the wretched creatures of this damned planet! Ha, left behind? More like abandoned! It should be easier to lure them to their doom, and I will be able to finally kill Lion-O.

All that is needed is a simple disguise, one of the two Thundercats. Tygra. There's no way that Lion-O will hesitate to help a friend in need. I look back at my pyramid before turning around and entering the re-built stone doorway. Everything is exactly as I remember it; the hieroglyphics on the wall are just as faded as they were the day I left. As I walk further, I pass cells with chains attached to the walls. I can't wait until Lion-O is in one of the cells as my prisoner. Although, he'd probably be dead before he's in the cell.

As I enter my throne room and stand in front of my sarcophagus, Ma-mutt starts to run around like a dog gone mad with a bone. We're home. And Lion-O and his feline cohorts are millions of miles away.

"Ancient spirits of Evil," I shout as I raise my hands "Transform this decayed form to Mumm-ra, the Ever Living!"

My bones creak as my body shifts and changes. I laugh as I say "This plan should work! Lion-O will never hold back to help Tygra if he is in trouble; he's so easily angered." Now, time to complete the transformation. "Now, transform this ancient form to the Thundercat Tygra!" I say, then I start to shrink as I transform into the tiger. Ma-mutt whines as I stand before him.

"Now, Ma-mutt. It's time to put our plan in place. I shall lure those wretched Thundercats to Third Earth, where I shall destroy them!" I roar, before jumping into the air then flying into the sky...

_**-(BORDER) -**_

"Lion-O, please! We need help! Mumm-ra's ambushed the lair and the tower of omens! He's taken control of Third Earth! Pumyra and I need you all here."

I look at Tygra as he talks to me via the telescreen. He's badly cut up, and he's covered in dried blood. Mumm-ra must have attacked him and Pumyra and taken them by surprise.

"Ok. We'll be there as soon as possible!" I say, but as I go to turn off the telescreen, Tygra says "I don't think that you'll get here in time, if you leave tomorrow..."

I nod then say "I understand. Lion-O out." as I turn off the screen.

I turn in my seat to face Panthro then say "You heard him! We need to go to Third Earth..." but he interrupts me by saying "We can't rush into something with barely any information about the situation, Lion-O. It could be a trap!"

Growling, I snarl "What if it isn't a trap? They could really be in trouble, and Mumm-ra could kill him and Pumyra. Are you REALLY going to sit on your freaking arse and do nothing? You're a Thundercat, for Jaga's sake, and Thundercats ALWAYS go to the aid of their friends!"

"I know, but remember that Mumm-ra can take anyone's form." Panthro snarls back at me, but it just sounds like he's chiding me. I sigh before getting up.

"Will you stop speaking to me like that? I'm not a cub anymore!" I snap as I look at the panther.

He gets up and stands his ground as he shouts "I'm not! I'm telling you the truth! Will you bloody listen to me for once? Just because you're our lord doesn't mean that you've got the right to talk to me like that and boss ALL of us around!"

"I DON'T boss you all around, and I DEFINATELY don't..." I shout, but I hear the door open, before Cheetara shouts over us "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, arguing like a pair of spoilt cubs? Especially you, Lion-O! You should be ashamed of yourself! You're our leader, which means that you should be acting maturely, but you're acting like an over-pampered cub! Can't you two get on with each other for once? You two are usually close friends; what's got into you all of a sudden?"

Before I can reply, she says "Either way, do you think that you can't tear each other to shreds when we leave for Third Earth? As Tygra said, we need to get there ASAP. Panthro, you go and ready the Feliner for the journey. I think I'm going to have a quick word with Lion-O." Panthro nods and starts to walk out of the door, but as he passes me, I whisper into his ear "We SERIOUSLY need to stop taking orders from her; she bosses us around too much."

Now that Panthro is out of the room, Cheetara pushes me into a chair as she says "Lion-O, is something wrong? It's not like you to be pissed off with Panthro." I sigh before saying "I'm just annoyed that everyone seems to be treating me like a cub again! I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Hey, it's nothing like that. You've been over-stressed recently with the burden of watching over and guarding two planets. We've been trying to make it easier for you by doing the harder jobs, so that the stress eases." she says as she hugs me.

"Lion-O, Cheetara, the Feliner is ready for takeoff. Get ready as quickly as possible. We leave in 30 minutes." Panthro's voice comes in over the communicator as we look at each other. "On our way, Panthro." I say, then we run to our sleeping chambers to get ready for the long journey to Third Earth...

_**45 minutes later...**_

"Altitude: 2,000 feet and climbing. At this rate, we should be in the New Thundera atmosphere within the next 5 to 10 minutes." I say as I push the throttle down to maximum speed.

"Good. At this rate, we should be coming up on Third Earth in about half an hour to an hour's top." Cheetara says, but a clattering noise from within the baggage hold catches our attention, making us all turn around as the door opens and Bengali, the Thunderkittens and the Snarfs fall into the cockpit in an undignified heap.

"And what are you lot doing here?" I ask, trying to sound mad.

"Do you seriously think that we were going to stay on New Thundera and miss all of the fun?" Bengali asks as he gets up and wipes himself off.

"And considering the fact that you're all here, who's guarding Cat's Lair?" I say as I cross my arms across my chest. They all look sheepish. "Umm...yeah...about that, Lion-O..." Bengali continues as he looks down, looking as if he's willing the ground to swallow him up ""No-one's guarding the lair..."

"You mean to say that you've left the lair UNATTENDED?" I ask as the young Bengal tiger looks nervously at the floor "For Jaga's sake, Bengali! I left you in charge of the lair whilst we're gone, but you go and sneak everyone onto the Feliner!"

"We're so sorry Lion-O," Wilykit says as she hangs her head in shame, then she nudges her brother who does the same "We just wanted to come to Third Earth with you to see Pumyra and Tygra. As they are on a distant planet and are always busy, we NEVER see them."

I laugh slightly before saying "Ok, you two. I'll let you off...once. Now go on, scram!"

Like the mischievous pair that they are, then rush off to their usual spot in the Feliner, whereas Bengali and the Snarfs are left dithering on the flight deck.

"Reow! Lion-O, you know that I go everywhere with you. You need me to keep you safe. I needed to come, because who knows what trouble you could get into without ol'Snarf?" Snarf says as he stands on his tail and looks me in the eye.

I sigh before saying "Ok, I'll let you all off. Besides, the Thunderguard will watch the lair," I turn back around and look at Cheetara. "Bloody stowaways!"

The cheetah laughs before replying. "At least they were honest about it."

I simply sniff then concentrate on the controls.

"Feliner to Cat's Lair, come in Tygra. We should be entering the Third Earth atmosphere in about an hour's time." I say as I adjust the headset on my head. "Tygra here; receiving you loud and clear. See you in about an hour then." his voice says over the intercom, and then the most spine-chilling scream echoes throughout the cockpit, followed by a familiar, raspy voice. "Well, Lion-O. Your foolhardiness has led you to my domain again, eh? Well, you'd better hurry up or Tygra will be a rug on my floor!" Shit! Tygra's in real trouble. This could spell disaster. I growl as Mumm-ra continues "Or are you too scared to face me and fight, cub?"

I look at Cheetara and Panthro then say "Be prepared for anything. This could be a trap."


	2. Chapter 1: I'm Still Here

_**A/N: DISCLAIMER! I do not own Thundercats or the creepypasta Wake Up. Thundercats is owned by Warner Bros and the original author of the creepypasta Wake Up is UNKNOWN. The only things that I own are the OC's in the story, and the story itself.**_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Mystery and adventure **_

_**Warnings: Violence and explicit language**_

_**Date started (Chapter): 19**__**th**__** January 2015 **_

_**Date finished (Chapter): N/A yet**_

_**Song: I'm still here, by Vertical Horizon**_

**It has been reported that some victims of torture, during the act, would retreat into a fantasy world from which they could not ****WAKE UP****.**

**In this catatonic state, the victim lived in a world just like their normal one, except they weren't being tortured.**

**The only way that they realized they needed to ****WAKE UP****was a note they found in their fantasy world.**

**It would tell them about their condition, and tell them to ****WAKE UP****.**

**Even then, it would often take months until they were ready to discard their fantasy world and**

**PLEASE WAKE UP!**

**Chapter 1: I'm Still Here**

I open my eyes to pure darkness, thick and oppressive. I'm lying on some sort of table. How the hell did this happen? I can't remember anything. I feel like I've been administered a heavy dose of sedative. My mind doesn't want to co-operate with the rest of my body as I try to make out my surroundings from the darkness. All I can see is the hieroglyphics carved into the ancient stonework. I know that I'm in Mumm-ra's pyramid; the overpowering stench of decay and putrefying flesh is enough for anyone to be able to tell. I sit up and, in the extremely limited light, see that most of my clothing is torn, and mostly covered in dust. The beams of moonlight which manage to find their way through the cracks in the roof provide only limited visibility, and the sound of rain and thunder from overhead is like the roar of a freight train.

I slip my legs off of the table and stand up, the effort of which sends painful spasms through my abdomen. I see the lightning which streaks across the sky through the cracks in the ceiling, illuminating a thin stream of water which pours through a carved crocodile head in the wall and into a decorative Egyptian pool in the floor. I pull off my already torn uniform and dip my right foot into the pool; the water's bloody freezing. Still, I am covered in dust and grime.

I take in a deep breath then jump in, the water's chill hitting me like the sting of a Giant Thunderian Hornet. I rapidly gasp for breath as I surface, shivering violently as water drips from my mane. Shaking, I haul myself out of the pool and shake myself off, water dripping from my long winter coat of fur. I wipe my face with my hands before reaching for my boots.

What I grab doesn't feel like any sort of material; it's hard and smooth. When I see what it is, I feel the disgust and horror rising in my throat as I force the urge to vomit to the pit of my stomach. The item is a skull; the skull of a Snarf.

I grab one of the flaming torches from the wall then lift it up. The soft flickering light that it throws out reveals more than I'd originally bargained for; slumped against the wall and lying flat on the floor are 10 skeletons, two of which are those of two Snarfs. No. It can't be, can it? It just isn't possible. I'd have to have been unconscious for well over 5 years for them to have been slaughtered and...decayed. How can my friends be dead? I can't even correctly remember what happened. For example, how did I get this wound on my abdomen which is surrounded with dried blood?

As I cross the room, Jaga manifests himself in front of me. "Lion-O," he says as he walks towards me "What you fear is true, young lord. The Thundercats are all dead."

My heart feels as if it skips a beat. "They're...they're REALLY dead?" I ask as hot tears of grief burn my cheeks, my voice barely even a whisper. Jaga pauses before replying "I'm afraid so. You've been under a spell which induced a state of deep unconscious on you for over 20 years."

Thinking momentarily, I pull my uniform back on, even though I don't see the point of it because my shirt reveals most of my chest, but my shorts are intact. I pull the door which falls down and smashes on the floor. I know where I am, now; I'm in the secret room behind Mumm-ra's sarcophagus. He must have kept me hidden from the outside world for a reason, possibly to stop anyone from finding out that I was still alive.

I grab the Sword of Omens and Claw Shield from the floor and as I run out of the room, I see a pile of bandages and bones lying on the floor. Looks like Mumm-ra's years of 'eternal' life have finally caught up with him. The red cloak will provide me with some protection, if I manage to cope with the horrid stench that the material gives off. I pick it up then drape it around my shoulders. It's threadbare, but it's decent enough for what it is. I need to get to shelter, and I know where to go where I'll be welcome...

The sand is like glue as I run as quickly as I can through the desert. My skin is covered in sand from falling over, and I'm covered in scrapes and cuts. The rain is coming down in a torrential downfall and I'm soaked through to the bone. I can only just see the edge of the jungle on the horizon, obscured by a thick, grey fog.

Even though Mumm-ra, the Mutants and the Lunataks are gone, I can't help but feel like I'm being watched. By the time I reach the jungle, my hands and arms are numb from the cold. All I want is something nice and hot to eat, as well as shelter from this storm...

"HALT!" I hear a familiar voice shout from overhead through the rain. I stop so abruptly that I skid across the grass before coming to a stop before Willa. "Who are you? How DARE you trespass on the territory of the Warrior Maidens! Don't move an inch or I'll shoot you!" she shouts as she points a loaded bow at me. Shocked, I pull down the hood as I say "Willa, it's me, Lion-O!"

She relaxes and unloads her bow as she says "Oh, Lion-O! It's you! I've not seen you for two years! What the hell happened to you?"

She looks down at the wound on my abdomen, which had started bleeding again.

"I can't remember, and it's a long story. I can explain tomorrow because I've got to get back to the lair..." I say, but she interrupts me by saying "No, come with me. You're soaking wet and as pale as a sheet. You can bed down here tonight. There's no way that I'm going to let you be out walking in this storm in the state that you're in; you'll catch your death of cold."

I follow her to a ladder then we start to climb it. When we reach the top, I look over the edge of the handrail and remember what happened; how I'm here...

"**Keep your foot off of the bloody gas, Lion-O! We're going too fast!" Panthro shouts as the tank jolts uncomfortably. Still, I ignore him and push the throttle down to full. The tank continues to gain speed, juddering violently as the maximum speed is reached. "You're going to use up the Thundrillium faster than Wilykat on a sugar high after eating too much candyfruit!" Panthro shouts again as we fly over branches and hills. **

**I look up, and see that we're rapidly approaching a tree. I throw my foot down on the brakes and throw my arms out in front of me to stop my head from bashing against the dashboard. I hear Panthro cry out, seconds before the Thundertank comes to a complete stop. I look up, and see the tree which is only a foot away from the tank. I sigh with relief then sit back, seconds before Panthro slaps me around the back of my head. **

"**What the hell, Lion-O!" he yells as he looks at me with his arms crossed over his chest "Are you trying to kill yourself? You're 21 years old now! You're not 12 anymore!"**

**I scowl then look away. "Alright, you drive home! But I'd rather walk than be in here with you if all you're going to do is sit here, shouting at me!" I snap.**

"**Fine! Get out and walk!" Panthro snaps, so I jump out of the tank. He wasn't lying. He pulls away and speeds off, leaving me behind. **

"**Panthro! COME BACK!" I shout as I start to run after him. He must just be plating a prank on me. Either way, it's not funny. It's lucky that the lair isn't so far away. Howether, by the time I get back, my legs are aching and I'm really thirsty. When I see Panthro, I run towards him and shout "Why the hell did you do that? You left me behind!"**

"**I thought you said that you'd rather walk! So I let you walk because that's what you wanted!" he says in a tone that makes me growl in infuriation.**

"**Didn't you hear me shouting after you?" I ask, enraged that he'd done it. But I don't give him the chance to answer because I run off into the thick jungle. "Lion-O!" I hear Cheetara shout from far behind me "Wait!"**

**I ignore her and continue on, past trees and down steep hills. I hear the crackling of twigs, seconds before Cheetara stops in front of me. I barely have any time to stop, so I can't help but cannon straight into her. She shrieks as my weight hares into her body, sending both of us flying down the hill. **

**My head keeps hitting rocks as we tumble down the hill and into a stream in an undignified heap. Cheetara laughs as she pushes herself up onto her elbows. "Well, that went according to plan..." I say as she looks into my eyes. She sighs then, to my surprise, she kisses me. **

"**Cheetara, I..." I say, but she cuts me off by saying "Don't spoil this moment for me!" She pins me down before pressing her lips against mine again. Suddenly, the Sword of Omens growls in warning. I sit up as I grab the sword from the Claw Shield and hold it in front of my eyes. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!" I command, then the familiar fog fills my mind before clearing slightly, allowing me to see, but what I do see infuriates me:**

**Tygra is chained to one of Mumm-ra's statues whilst the ancient devil priest holds the tip of a dagger against his throat. "You're wasting time by standing around and doing nothing, Lion-O!" Mumm-ra snarls as he digs the dagger into Tygra's throat; a thin bead of blood appears on the blade and trickles down the tiger's neck. "Hurry up, coward!"**

**I growl as I turn the sword over in my hand before turning to look at Cheetara. "Mumm-ra's got Tygra at the Black Pyramid!" I snarl as I stand up "We need to go and save him!"**

"**Then, what are you waiting for, Lion-O? Call the other Thundercats!" she says as she looks in the direction of Mumm-ra's monstrous pyramid.**

**I nod before tightening my grip on the sword. Taking a deep breath, I roar "Thunder...Thunder...Thunder...Thundercats, HO!" The symbol bolts from the sword and into the sky. I breathe out nervously; I can't help but feel as if I've just put me and Cheetara in grave danger. Any of our enemies could see the symbol, and they'd have the perfect opportunity to attack us.**

"**What's wrong, Lion-O? You've gone all tense. I hate it when you do, because it means that you're thinking about something that bothers you." Cheetara asks as she rests her hands on my shoulders. I sigh before replying.**

"**I don't know. It's a mix of feelings, mainly nervousness and doubt."**

"**I don't understand why you're so nervous. We're safe..." Cheetara says, but she is cut off by the roar of the Thundertank as it crashes through the undergrowth towards us. The second that we both jump in, the tank bolts as the engines are pushed to the maximum speed. The smell of burning fuel is strong in the air, but we're not going to spare the Thundrillium. **

"**We've got to get to the Black Pyramid ASAP," I say as I sit in my seat next to Cheetara "I've got the strongest suspicion that Mumm-ra is going to do something awful. When I saw him in the Sword, he had a dagger at Tygra's throat."**

**The tank violently lurches, nearly sending us flying as the engines blow out. The vehicle slows to a stop and the engine splutters as Panthro tries to restart it but it's no good. "Right, we're going to have to walk the rest of the way, but it's not far." he says as we get out. I look at the vast desert. This is it.**

**We slowly edge down the corridor past cells. A slight draught sweeps past us, sending a cold chill up my spine. This place is fucking creepy. The sound of bubbling water grows louder as we approach the throne room. The first thing I see is Tygra, who is strapped to the side of one of the four statues. I run towards him to help him. I rip the gag from his mouth, seconds before the old tiger says "Lion-O! Behind you! It's a trap!"**

**I barely have a second to react before something slams into the side of my chest, sending me flying, too stunned to scream. I hit one of the other statues as the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. My head slams into the hard stone, knocking me senseless for a second until I slump to the floor. I shakily get up onto my knees, seconds before a cold, ghastly hand closes around my throat. I am lifted clean off of my knees then pressed against the icy, damp stone wall until I'm looking right down into Mumm-ra's glowing red eyes. **

**I grab his arm and try to get him to release me, but he squeezes harder, completely cutting off my air supply. I choke and gag as I feel my strength fading. My limbs feel like lead and my head is reeling. "You're a bloody idiot, Lion-O." Mumm-ra says as my struggling slowly starts to cease "I've cut off your jugular artery and your windpipe. If you're lucky enough, you'll be dead in under a minute from asphyxiation."**

**My vision is slowly fading to black as foamy saliva fills my mouth. But, he suddenly drops me. I drop to the ground like a rock, greedily breathing in as if I never have taken a single breath in my life. I rub my sore throat as I start choking. I can't breathe properly. Cheetara runs towards me as she says "Are you ok, Lion-O?" I drop onto my front as I start panting. "Y...yeah. I...I'm ok...now." I say, my voice barely even a whisper. She helps me up, and we all turn to look at Mumm-ra as he stands on the other side of his cauldron. I draw the Sword of Omens from the claw shield and take a shaky step forwards. **

"**Come on, coward! You've already proved that you're stupidly impetuous, but I've been waiting for so long for this moment! So, come and get me, cub!" Mumm-ra taunts as he grabs something from his robes.**

**Enraged that he'd called me a coward and a cub, I growl then snarl "As you wish, Mumm-ra! But arm yourself; I want blood this time!"**

**I ignore the other Thundercats' gasps of horror and run towards the cauldron.**

"**Lion-O! NO!" Cheetara shouts, but it's too late for me to stop now; I run up the steps of the cauldron, then, with a bellowing roar of infuriation, I jump and clear the water with ease, landing right on top of Mumm-ra...**

"So, as you can tell, it's a very long story, but I can't remember anything after that point." I say as I take a sip from my bowl of broth. Willa sighs as she eats some from her bowl. I look down at the wound on my abdomen, which had been cleaned, sutured and bandaged by the Warrior Maidens' best healer. "I understand. Howether, it's not been twenty years. It's only been two. Anyway, I will get Nayda to show you to your room. It's very late." Willa says as she looks out of the window at the moon. Nayda gets up then walks out of the door. "Goodnight Lion-O. I hope that you have a good night's rest. You look like you need it." I hear Willa say as I exit the room before following Nayda up a ladder.

"Lion-O," the young Warrior Maiden says as she helps me up onto the next layer "If what you say is true, then how are you not dead?"

I sigh before replying.

"I don't know. My heart tells me something, but my mind tells me otherwise. It's beyond me. I think that there's something suspicious going on, but I just don't know yet."

We stop outside one of the many tree houses, and then Nayda bids me goodnight. As I walk in through the door, I let my emotions show. I cast myself down onto the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. My friends are all dead, and I was unconscious as they were all killed. Somehow I feel like it's all my fault. If only I hadn't launched at Mumm-ra, but he'd made me so angry. I wipe my eyes on my arms before grabbing a pair of pyjamas from the back of the door then strip off, throwing my drenched, torn uniform onto the floor. I slip under the thick blankets then switch off the lamp, swamping the room in pitch blackness.

The wind howls outside, rattling the door in its frame. I shiver slightly before rolling over, but I can't get comfortable. I still feel like someone's watching me, and I can't shake it. A sudden breeze blows through the room, making me shudder. Something's amiss, but I don't know what. Part of me is telling me that the Thundercats are all still alive, but it's impossible.

I start to dose off, but I am alerted by the Sword of Omens' growls of warning. I sit up as I yawn, then stretch. Just as I was falling asleep. Typical!

I grab the sword then hold it in front of my eyes as I say "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

What I see fills me with such hope and horror at the same time:

The Thundercats are all still alive, but they're at Castle Plun-darr...as prisoners. I can see Wilykit and Wilykat being frog marched down a Thundrillium mine with Lynx-O; Pumyra and Tygra are being forced to tend to the sick and wounded Mutants; Panthro is chained up in some sort of workshop, being forced to make weapons and Tygra is sitting opposite him, drawing building designs. I feel a sudden surge of rage as I see Cheetara and Snarf shackled in chains, slaving over cook pots and stoves.

How fucking dare they treat us Thundercats like this! I have to leave, and I have to leave now! I have to save them!

"Lion-O, don't even think about rushing headlong into this!"

I turn around and look at Jaga as I say "You lied to me! It's only been 2 years, and the Thundercats ARE all still alive!"

The old jaguar looks taken aback. "I never said anything like that, young lord. Don't forget that Mumm-ra can take any form!"

I don't acknowledge him as I switch the lamp on again. On the trunk at the end of the bed sits a pile of my uniform, which wasn't there before. I pull my shirt on over my head them slip my shorts on as I say "Earlier on today, you told me that the others were dead, but the Sword of Omens showed me that they're not. You lied." Before he can answer me, I open the door then walk out into the night. The rain hasn't lightened, but it's got heavier. Thunder crashes from overhead and lightning streaks through the sky. I grab a vine then slip down it. Once I'm on the floor, I start to make my way towards Castle Plun-darr. A thick Third Earth fog starts to roll in from the mountain; in less than five minutes, I can't see more than 10ft in front of me. I know that I'm doing this impulsively, but it's a risk that I'm willing to take to save my friends. I slip the hood of the cloak over my head then pick up the pace to a fast run. My feet sink into the waterlogged grass, spraying my body with mud. My stomach is rumbling slightly. Even though I had something to eat with Willa, I'm still really hungry, and rather thirsty.

"_**You're making a fatal mistake, Lion-O."**_

I stop suddenly then look around. I swear I'm hearing things. "Who...who's there?" I shout, tearing the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield and whirl around, seeing a pair of glowing yellow eyes. "Show yourself, whoever you are!" I snarl fiercely. The person...or should I say, Thunderian lion, steps from the fog. He looks like a more animal version of myself. His waist long mane and beard are braided, and his armour seems to be made of a type of animal fur, and he's wearing a golden pendant which is engraved with the Eye of Thundera. "Who the bloody hell are you?" I ask.

"_**I am Satos, and I am your ancestor; the so called 'soul' of the Eye of Thundera..."**_

I look down at the Sword of Omens. Surely he can't be the soul of the life stone of the Thundercats. I know that the Thunderian clans are descendants of four astral cats who watch over the heavens; Satos, Thy'lacaon, Tristahn and Mara. I never knew that one was my ancestor. When I look back up, he's gone. What a mysterious cat. How can I look near enough exactly like him? The Book of Omens holds many more unsolved mysteries, but we've only managed to decipher one tenth of them. So many things have been left unanswered for us. I thought that after me and Mumm-ra had battled in the Book of Omens, he'd been destroyed and his very essence had been scattered across the very planes of existence itself, but I was obviously proven wrong when he returned then attacked us. We barely even recovered before he took Third Earth under his control.

That's when that day happened. The rest of the day is just a hazy, almost drunken blur; I can only remember the intense agony and the lingering threat of death. I can remember Cheetara and the others panicking, and then nothing. It's not very easy to remember it, as I was unconscious.

An owl hoots from somewhere overhead, and a wolf howls from off in the distance. I've missed the nights out in the Third Earth forest. Howether, I mostly miss my friends. I've always had feelings for Cheetara, but I've not told her. And unless I can save them, I never will.

_**Next Time on Thundercats:**_

_**When the other Thundercats discover that Lion-O is alive, they start to prepare for an escape act. With Mumm-ra knowing that the young lord is still alive, will Lion-O and the other Thundercats be able to get away unscathed? **_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	3. Chapter 2: Skyfall

_**A/N: This chapter introduces some of my original characters, and so it might be a little bit confusing. But trust me, more information will be revealed about them as the story progresses. I promise. **__**DISCLAIMER! I do not own Thundercats or the creepypasta Wake Up. Thundercats is owned by Warner Bros and the original author of the creepypasta Wake Up is UNKNOWN. The only things that I own are the OC's in the story, and the story itself.**_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Drama/Adventure**_

_**Warnings: Graphic scenes of violence, gore and some explicit language**_

_**Date started (Chapter): 12**__**th**__** February 2015 **_

_**Date finished (Chapter): 17**__**th**__** February 2015**_

_**Song: Skyfall by Adele (I choose the songs for the lyrics, so if the song lyrics fit the events of the chapter, it goes.)**_

**Chapter 2: Skyfall**

I look out of the barred window at the beautiful rising sun which dissipates the fog, cutting through it like a knife. I lean against the door of my cell as I sigh heavy-heartedly. It's not fair. None of us deserve to be treated like we are being treated; like the shit on the Mutants' shoes. If Lion-O were here, he'd not let us be treated like this. But there's nothing he can do; none of us even know where he is, but I do. He's in the Black Pyramid, lying dead from a stab wound to his abdomen. It was all so quick when it happened; almost over in a second. At first, we were just trying to prevent him from jumping onto and killing Mumm-ra, then Pumyra and Tygra were fighting to save his life. It had all been a futile attempt, though. I can remember feeling his pain as my own whilst he lay there before me...

"**Lion-O! No!" I scream, but he doesn't listen. He runs to the edge of the cauldron before jumping over the vibrant purple waters. He lands on top of Mumm-ra...with an agonized yelp of pain. I simply believe that he was punched, but then I spot the blood that gushes down Mumm-ra's arm and drips onto the mummy's chest, staining his already filthy bandages a shocking shade of scarlet. "You wanted blood, Lion-O!" Mumm-ra cackles as blood starts to gush from Lion-O's mouth "You got it, boy!" **

**I try to move, but I'm frozen to my spot with horror and rage as the ancient mummy throws Lion-O to the side. Before I even know what I'm doing, I run at Mumm-ra with my staff drawn at full length. He grabs my wrist then throws me to the floor. Pain explodes throughout my body as my head slams into the stone. When I look up, I see Pumyra and Tygra running towards Lion-O, who is sitting up and looks rather uncomfortable. I get to my feet then join them, but the second I see what condition he is in, I feel the lump of anxiety forming in my throat. Lion-O has his arms wrapped around his abdomen, which is oozing blood, a pool of the startlingly red fluid rapidly spreading around him.**

"**How badly is he injured, Pumyra? It's not fatal, is it?" I hear Snarf ask nervously. "I don't know, Snarf. He's not showing us the wound." I kneel beside the lion as he looks at me with his beautiful gingery orange eyes. "Lion-O," I say as I place my left hand on his shoulder. My heart feels as if it's about to break as he places his right hand on top of mine and says "Don't worry so much about me, Cheetara! You're as bad as Snarf! Besides, I'm ok." He's actually pretty good at hiding his emotions, but he's trembling and the look in his eyes seems to tell me something that he's not saying to us.**

**I can't stand it anymore. I grab his arms then pull them away from his abdomen, revealing the hilt of the Sword of Plun-darr that it lodged deep within his flesh. I try to keep myself composed, but the nausea rises in my throat as I feel like I'm about to be sick. Lion-O's skin is extremely pale and clammy. I feel the side of his neck for his pulse, but it's so weak that I can barely detect it. "For Jaga's sake, Lion-O! I told you not to do it, but you didn't listen to me..." I say as I help Pumyra and Tygra lie him on his back, which makes the young lion cry out in pain. He doesn't answer me at first, but says "I know, but he made me so angry..." in a voice no more than a whisper.**

"**Lion-O," Pumyra says as she pulls on a pair of rubber gloves "I'm not going to sugar-coat this, but this is going to hurt. A lot." She grabs the hilt then places her other hand on Lion-O's abdomen, then pulls the sword from the wound. I can clearly hear him involuntarily whimpering in pain, then he tries to stifle his cries of agony as the young puma puts her hands into the gaping wound, trying to staunch the heavy blood loss. I retch slightly as I see Lion-O's intestines slightly protruding from the wound. There's got to be a way to save him. He can't die. His uniform is stained red with blood, and he's fighting the looming threat of losing consciousness. He's possibly also fighting death itself...**

"Get to work, she-cat! Do I have to have you whipped?"

I look up at the jackal as I say "I'll never do what you want, stupid creature!" The jackal whips one of the kitchen knives out of the draw then points it at me.

"Don't be so cocky with what you say to me, you arrogant bitch!" he snarls, looking down at me as he grabs my mane and pulls my head back "I could easily sink this deep into your throat and get away with it!"

I growl as he spits in my face. "If Lion-O were here..." I snarl, but he cuts me off by saying "What could he do? Remember what Lord Mumm-ra did to him?"

"How do you expect me to forget? How do you expect me to forget when I loved him?"

He punches me around the face for my insolence. I can taste the metallic tang of blood, and I fall over backwards as the jackal forcefully pushes me away, just as Snarf walks in, carrying a pile of dirty dishes. "Hey! Leave her alone!" he shouts at the jackal as the wretched creature roughly pulls me up by the hem of my top.

"GET A FUCKING MOVE ON AND STOP STALLING, YOU WRETCHED THUNDERIANS!" he screams as he unfurls the whip from his belt then cracks in on the floor. As he turns around, I sigh then turn to Snarf. The little red and yellow cat purrs anxiously. He'd obviously overheard me talking about Lion-O. Nothing else is said until the door opens, and the vile, pungent stench of decaying flesh fills the room as Mumm-ra walks in through the door, followed by a pair of heavily armed apes.

"You are foolhardy, Cheetara. Enough nerves to speak your puny lord's name in this very room, eh?" he says as he runs his bandaged hand over Ma-mutt's back and head "I remember the day that I killed him as if I only just did it!"

I growl viciously and run towards him, but one of the guardsmen swings his axe into the floor; the shackles around my ankles get caught around the wooden shaft, and I fall to the floor in front of the Mutants.

"He was nothing but a weakling!" Mumm-ra snaps as I'm pulled to my feet "And you'll find yourself by his side once again if you continue like this! I need a cheetah skin rug." He signals to the guards before saying "Take her away, and don't even hesitate to execute her if she fights against you!"

As I am dragged out of the room, something comes across my mind. I can see Lion-O, alive and well, and he's running through the forest. He's coming to rescue us from this place!

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"**Dad! Dad, wake up!"**

**I yawn then open my eyes. "Braiden, go back to bed. It's still so early." I say as my young son pulls on my arms. He whines and cries "Please!"**

**I sit up then say "Ok, I'm up, you little monster." **

**My son runs out of the door of the hut. I get up then stretch as I yawn. **

"**Leo," I hear my wife, Rewth, say from the bed below me "Is Braiden being trouble again?" **

**I run my hands through my blood red mane as I say "Yeah, he is. But me and my little brother gave our father loads of trouble when we were cubs, too. I can remember it all, when we were on Thundera before the planet exploded. I haven't seen him since we were evacuated from the planet, but I swear that he's still alive. I just have that feeling deep in my bones. I mean, they say that twins have bonds with each other that can't be explained. And I actually believe it. Whenever I go out to the outskirts of the city, people call me by my brother's name. They think that I'm him, just because we look exactly the same."**

**Rewth sighs then says "I was but a girl when the chieftain and his best trackers bought you to Third Earth all those years ago. But the second I saw you, I knew who you were. You couldn't speak our language, but the chieftain took you in as his own son and taught you our traditions and beliefs, as he and his mate could not have cubs of their own. I'm glad that you came, now." **

**I'm just about to reply when the lusty cries of our week old cub fills the air. I kneel by the side of the wooden cot and gently lift the young lion out then cradle him in my arms. "There, there, Johba. Hush." I say as I try to rock him to sleep. I carefully pass him to Rewth who starts to sing a lullaby in Ancient Thunderian. Johba mews piteously, but his crying starts to slowly stop as Rewth takes a bottle of warm milk from the pot of hot water then eases the teat into his mouth. He starts to drink hungrily as Braiden shouts "Dad! Come ON!"**

"**I'd better go. You know what trouble he can be." I say as I lean forward and kiss her on the lips. The lioness purrs as I say "I love you, Rewth." She smiles at me then looks down at Johba as I walk out of the hut. The scents of pine trees and smoke from the alchemist's hut are strong in the air. I stop and take a deep breath in, breathing in the air which is rich with the smell of cooking venison. **

"**Dad, over here!" I hear Braiden call, and I turn around to be greeted with the sight of my 4 year old son who is up a tree. **

"**You be careful, Braiden. If you fall and hurt yourself, your mother will kill me!"**

**He laughs before letting go of the branch. When he lands on the ground, he flips himself over. "Hey, c'mon you. Have you done your early morning offering to the gods yet? I ask as I look at the great tree that stands tall and proud in the middle of our village. **

**He groans as I lead him towards the tree, through the crowds of Ferrals who are on their way to the traditional morning offering. As we kneel before the tree, I speak in Ancient Thunderian as I take a ceremonial dagger out of my belt. I make a nick in my forearm with the blade then let my blood drip into the grass, and as I hold my arm out, one of the shoots winds round my arm and I can feel the power surging through my veins as the tree passes some of its ancient magic to me, healing the wound within seconds. I trace the Ferrals' symbol which is tattooed onto my chest then bow my head. I look at Braiden as I stand up, who is taking a beaded necklace out of his pocket before laying it on the grass. He speaks in broken Ancient Thunderian then joins me. **

**He grabs my hand and drags me towards the tree line. "Where are we going, Braiden? Some sort of den?" I ask as we go through the trees. "Yeah. It's where me and Bjorn hang out after lessons." he says as we come to a footpath. After what feels like an hour and a half, we come to a hill that overlooks the valley. As we approach an old, gnarled oak tree, I begin to see the tree house that is constructed in the uppermost branches. There are ancient war symbols carved into the wood, and I can smell the pungent scents of lion and sabre toothed tiger urine. Plus, there are scratch marks all over the trunk of the tree. Braiden leads me up the rope ladder and as we reach the first floor, I hear Bjorn say "Good morning, Uncle Leo! Hi, Braiden!" The sabre toothed tiger gives me the traditional Ferrals' salute then goes back to monitoring the village.**

"**So, you stay up here and watch the village?" I say as I ruffle my son's mane. **

"**Yeah. We keep watch, and we report anything out of the ordinary to you or the general." Bjorn says as he looks down at the sheep skin book he's writing in. I look over his shoulder and see that he's drawn maps and parts of the land. He's only 13, but he's a trained geographical map drawer. Plus, he's my nephew through marriage, which makes him Braiden's cousin. **

**As I turn to look over the village, the sound of distant horse hooves catches my attention. I turn to look behind me, and see the approaching sea of horses. Strange creatures are astride the animals, led by what looks like a rotting corpse.**

**I unsling the hollowed ram's horn from my belt and blow into the end, raising the alarm, but as we're so far away, there's no way that they could have heard me. "Braiden, Bjorn, stay here!" I shout as I jump to the ground. "But...dad! I wanna come!" Braiden shouts as he climbs down the rope ladder. "Braiden," I say sternly, raising my voice slightly "Will you please do as I tell you?"**

"**Aww...but, dad..." he whines as he tugs on the sleeve of my shirt, but I snap "BRAIDEN!" He flinches at the harsh tone of my voice then backs off. I turn back around then run as fast as I possibly can in the direction of the village. I can already hear the sounds of the horns. My people are in danger, and my wife and youngest cub are there, unprotected. I can also hear the sounds of steel clashing against steel and the terrified screams of children. I'm too late!**

**Once I come to the outskirts of the village, the creatures are gone, but I am greeted with the carnage of slain Ferrals and burning buildings. Then, I hear a familiar scream; Rewth. No! I run towards the hill where our hut is built; the door has been torn completely off its hinges, and the grass is splattered with blood. I run in, and see Rewth kneeling on the ground. The leader of the creatures, which look like Mutants, is standing in front of her, his back turned to me. I can hear Johba crying. "If that little wretch doesn't stop screeching, kill it!" he snaps to the snakelike Mutant beside him.**

**I growl slightly as the mummy looking creature grabs Rewth and pulls her to her feet. It turns around then laughs. "Lion-O! Fancy seeing you here! My, it sure is nice to see you again!" he laughs as he advances towards me. I roar as I sling my bow off of my shoulder and load it. I aim it at him as I snarl "There's just one tiny problem with that, whoever you are; I'm not Lion-O!"**

**Suddenly, he disappears before my very eyes, milliseconds before I hear an agonized gasp. I turn around, and see Rewth...as well as the hilt of the dagger that protrudes from her chest. The Mutant has also disappeared. I run up to Rewth and catch her as her knees buckle and she collapses into my arms.**

"**Leo..." she whispers as I pull the dagger from her chest then press my hands over the wound "Is...Is Johba ok?" I look at the bundle of wolf skin blankets and see that our son is sleeping peacefully. "He's ok. He's sleeping." I say as I look back at her. She groans as I press down harder on the wound. "Leo," she moans "It hurts...so much..."**

"**I know, but it's ok. You'll be ok! I promise!" I say as I sit on the bed and hold her in my arms. I can hear footsteps approaching from outside. "MUM!" I hear Braiden scream as he comes running in. **

**Tears stream down my face as her breathing starts to slow down. "Rewth, please! Just hold on!" I sob as I hold her close to my chest. I know that Rewth is dying, but I don't want to accept the truth.**

"**I...I'm so sorry...Leo. I love you. Take care of our cubs for me..." she says, her voice no more than a mere whisper. **

"**Rewth?"**

**Her eyes slowly close and she sighs as she takes her last breath. She goes limp in my arms. "Rewth? Rewth! Please, wake up! REWTH!" I cry, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Mum? Mum!" Braiden cries as he shakes her arm, but she doesn't open her eyes. Braiden collapses against my chest, crying over the sudden death of his mother. I've lost so much over the past few years. My mother died shortly after me and my brother were born, and I lost both my father and stepmother on the same day when Thundera blew up, and my brother when we were separated on that fateful day. I've not seen him for years, so I've always assumed that he was killed until recently...**

I open my eyes. The bright sunlight fingers its way through the open door and shines upon my face, and the room is bathed in shades of gold, orange and red from the cooking fire that has a joint of meat and a pot of porridge cooking over it. I can hear laughter from outside, obviously Johba and Braiden playing with their friends.

I sit up, the scent of last night's meal and our cooking breakfast lingering heavily in the air along with the rich smell of burning incense. I get up and pull my shirt on over my head. It's been three years since Rewth was killed in the Mutant raid. I'd love to get my hands on the wretched Mutant who murdered her.

I pull my trousers on then pull my wolf skin boots on. When I walk out of the door, I see my sons sitting in the dirt with Benorco and Bjorn. They're passing what look like talismans of carved ram's horns around in their circle. Johba is just looking at the talisman in his hand with confusion. "And what are you lot up to?" I say as I kneel beside my three year old son and ruffle his tangled mane.

"We're doing some ancient rituals, but Johba doesn't know exactly what he's doing." Braiden says as he snatches the talisman from his younger brother's hands. I laugh slightly before standing up. "Are you two coming to have something for breakfast?" I say as I catch the scent of meats cooking over fires, making my mouth water.

They get up then follow me into our hut then sit on the floor, and I start serving breakfast up. Neither of my sons seem interested in the porridge but eat the meat with gusto. I know what I am scheduled to do today; I have to train our army for combat then teach Braiden and his friends how to fight, all whilst looking over Johba. All the delights of being the chieftain of this village.

That night as I lay in bed, I couldn't help but wonder about my brother. Had he really survived the destruction of Thundera? I know that he escaped, whereas me and my stepmother were caught by slavers.

"Your brother is alive and well, and he's the king of this planet."

I look up as a familiar voice speaks to me from the darkness of the corner. "Jaga? Is that you?" I say as I sit up and rub my eyes. "Yes, Leo. And as I said, your brother is alive and well, and as I said, he is the King of New Thundera." he says as he kneels beside me "Whilst you grew up with the Ferrals, we were on our way to Third Earth. They also came to New Thundera shortly after you did."

I can't believe it. "He's alive? W...where is he now?" I ask. "He is on Third Earth, in the process of freeing the other Thundercats from Castle Plun-darr." Jaga says.

I knew it!

After all this time, Lion-O, my little brother, is still alive. "Does he know that I'm alive?" I ask as I sit up. Jaga shakes his head as he says "No. I'm afraid not, Leo. He believes that you're dead, as do the other Thundercats. He thinks that you were killed in the destruction of Thundera. Little does he know that you and your stepmother escaped and survived." I sigh as I look down. At least I know that Lion-O is alive.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Lion-O's alive?"

I look around me at the other Thundercats as I say "Yes. Lion-O is alive, and he's on his way here to get us out of this mess, I'm sure of it." Snarf purrs and stands up on his tail, whereas Tygra seems to be anxious about something.

"What if Mumm-ra knows about him being alive? He'd kill Lion-O for real, this time." Snarfer says as he pushes his spoon around in his bowl of stew. I look at Tygra then down at my own food. "Even if he's coming to save us, how could he break us out without getting severely injured? There are so many guards. Lion-O wasn't killed, but we let Mumm-ra fool us into believing that he was, and enslave us." Pumyra says as she rests her head on Bengali's shoulder.

I can remember that day clearly. It was two years ago that we were cruelly tricked into believing Lion-O was dead. Mumm-ra is responsible for everything that has happened, and what's happening. We'd had to drag Lion-O into the room behind Mumm-ra's sarcophagus when the Mutants started to join in on the act. In the state he was in, Lion-O wouldn't have been able to fight them. The room was kind of like one of the rooms in the infirmary. There was a table in the room, so we'd lay Lion-O on it then continued to try and save him. Then, before we could do anything else, the Mutants had managed to get in through the door. Lion-O had tried to fight back, but had got himself knocked out. We'd thought he'd been killed when he got knocked out. We were overwhelmed by them and they drugged us. When we awoke, we were in Castle Plun-darr. I'd never felt so distraught in my life. I'd cried myself to sleep that night, believing that Lion-O was dead.

Having the thought that he's alive is the most relieving feeling that I've ever had. I know that he loves me. Even though he's never told me, the way he acts around me when I walk into a room, or when he walks in on me can only be described as love. Ever since we crashed on Third Earth, he's been yearning for my attention. I must admit, I never pay that much attention to the young lion, even when we came to New Thundera. I do love him, but my mother taught me that the Lord of the Thundercats can only marry Thunderian Nobles, but that was before I became a Thundercat myself.

Whenever I sat in my seat at the dining table in the Lair, Lion-O always sat next to me. He'd always try and get me to going out for dinner with him, but he would always be interrupted by Snarf or one of the others. He also once tried to kiss me, but Snarfer caught us, and wouldn't stop dropping hints about it all week.

I hope that he gets here soon. We'll have to fight our way out, but it's worth it if we get our freedom back. I can't stand being here anymore.

_**Next Time on Thundercats:**_

_**Lion-O has to face his demons and rescue his friends from the evil clutches of Mumm-ra, but will all go as the young lion had planned? Having to fight alone to gain access, will he be victorious, or will Mumm-ra succeed in making his plan come true?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	4. Chapter 3: Somewhere Only We Know

_**A/N: I'm so sorry that this has taken so long to update. Too many exams and FAR too much dreaded homework. Plus, I STILL haven't got my own laptop charger... **____** Howether; this chapter may clear up a couple of things for people who don't understand it that much. It might be a little while before this story is updated again because I still haven't managed to get a secure schedule yet. Plus, personal problems have also played havoc on my schedule. I wouldn't be surprised if the next chapter takes nearly two months to upload. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and please feel free to review/favourite/follow if you want to.**_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Friendship and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Graphic scenes of violence, gore and explicit language**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Tuesday 17**__**th**__** February 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Saturday 11**__**th**__** April 2015**_

_**Song/s: Somewhere Only We Know by Keane**_

Chapter 3: Somewhere Only We Know

The rising sun casts a black shadow over the forest. Sweat trickles down my back as I run. I've wasted too much valuable time. I could have the other Thundercats free by now if I hadn't stayed at the Treetop Kingdom overnight. Still, there is a chance that I can still rescue them. I know that the Thunderclaw and the Hovercat are at the old lair, and that they're the way that I can reach Castle Plun-darr quicker than running on foot.

I recognise the scenery: we came this way when we were rescuing Tygra. That means that the Thundertank is nearby. I only have to run a little further to see it: wrapped in vines and overgrown with vegetation, the tank lies on the side of the pathway, as still and silent as the day it broke down. It's creepy.

When I reach the Lair, I was expecting it to be standing proudly in the early morning sun. Howether, it's a sight to behold:

The head has been torn clean off of the Lair, and the body itself is in ruins. The drawbridge has completely collapsed into the moat. It's shocking.

My previous home...destroyed by the Mutants, ravaged by time. So many memories, destroyed.

Howether, I can't let that bother me. Well, looks like I've got a climb waiting. I'd better get started. I swing my legs over the edge of the canyon then start the treacherous climb. It's not so hard getting down, but it's even harder climbing back up. Not only is the stone wet, but the palms of my hands are sweaty. I grab a rusted metal pole and hoist myself up, but my weight loosens it, sending me tumbling back down until I hit a slab of stone. I sit up then rub my head then look at my hand as I feel something trickling down the back of my neck. Shit! My hand's covered in blood. I hope I haven't cracked my head open on the stone. I stand up then continue on with the climb. As I look down, I see the spot where my head hit the ground because there's a small patch of blood.

By the time I reach the top, the sun is high in the sky. I look at the paw hangars and see the Thunderclaw. At least it's not in ruins like the Lair itself.

The wind whips my mane in my face as I speed through the sky. I know that trying to rescue the other Thundercats in broad daylight is a bad idea, but I can't wait another day. The forest flies by beneath as I soar through the clouds. My friends are counting on me. I've already failed them once, and that was one time too many.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Mumm-ra! There's an enemy aircraft incoming!"

I look up at Vultureman as he runs into the room. "And why should I care, Mutant?" I snap, enraged that the wretched creature had just disturbed my rest. "It's one of the Thundercats' aircraft! And there's only one Thundercat who we haven't captured, which means that it's Lion-O!" he shouts, making me jump. I know that Lion-O is alive, and I know that he's got a brother because I killed his brother's wife three years ago. But he's managed to muster up enough courage to come and rescue his friends. Pity! Little does the insolent bastard know that he's been spotted!

"Fine! Battle stations!" I roar as I stand up and grab the Sword of Plun-darr from the stand by the side of my throne. The alarm sounds, and we all rush into the corridor. "Jackalman, Monkian! Take the Skycutters! I'll take the Nosediver! Vultureman, you know what to do!" Slithe shouts as he grabs his axe.

"I thought you said you'd killed Lion-O! Could you really be so stupid as to..." Monkian gibbers as he gets onto his Skycutter. "SHUT IT AND GET ON WITH WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, YOU WRETCHED BABOON!" I roar as I raise my fist above his head, momentarily stunning the stupid Mutant with a bolt of pure electricity. When the effects wear off, the pair start up the Skycutters and shoot off into the air.

"I trust you know what you're doing, Slithe!" I snap as the reptile gets onto the Nosediver "You'd better not kill Lion-O. If you do, I'll have your hide! I need Lion-O alive!"

Slithe cackles and says "Oh, you can trust me, 'Lord' Mumm-ra! I won't kill him..." And as he passes me, I hear him mumble "Yet."

I hear shouts from outside, along with laser blasts. I look out of the window, and see a horde of Mutants crowding around someone. There's a deafening roar, and screams of agony as countless Mutants are thrown around like ragdolls. The fools! That's not how they're going to defeat Lion-O!

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I grab the wretched Mutant in front of me then sink my fangs deep into his throat, my mouth filling with warm, salty blood. Seconds later, I feel another Mutant grab my mane and pull me back. I give it a swift kick between the legs before twisting its neck, snapping its spine.

"It's Lion-O! Get him!"

I look up as two Skycutters circling high above me, along with Vultureman's Flying Machine. I hear a familiar sound, and see the Nosediver speeding towards me, along with a troupe of Mutants.

Vultureman dives at me then starts firing. I dodge the laser bolts then run on, unsheathing the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield. Suddenly, a stinging pain shoots through my abdomen, making me stop and fall to my knees. I shouldn't be running. I've possibly just broke the stitches on my wound.

I look up, just as Jackalman and Monkian start firing at me. The second I get up, Vultureman fires something from a cannon attached to the underside of the aircraft. It hits the floor then explodes, sending out a cloud of crimson mist. The second the red mist touches me, it starts to burn my skin. I realize that it's Thundranium when I collapse from the pain and my rapidly declining strength. I fight to stand up, but I can't find the strength to. "Lion-O, you're an absolute idiot. Did you honestly believe you could rescue your friends? You can't!" I look up at Jackalman as he approaches me. He hoists his axe above his head then swings it down to deliver a blow that would take my head clean off of my shoulders, but a bolt of electricity breaks the blade off of the handle. "Jackalman, you fucking dumbass! Mumm-ra told you that he needs Lion-O alive!" I hear a familiar voice snarl. I struggle to get up as Slithe's shadow falls over me. I roar viciously, but it just sounds like nothing but a squeaky rumble. Slithe laughs before kicking me in the chest, making me roll over onto my back. I try to sit up, but the wretched snake puts his right foot on my chest and forces me back down again.

"I don't think so, boy!" he says as he presses tip of the blade of his axe against my throat, digging it into my skin "Don't move if you value your life!" I growl, bearing my fangs as much as possible.

"I'll get you for this, Slithe! First, Mumm-ra tried to kill me, then you made my friends believe I'm dead, and you even went as far as to enslave them!" I snarl, but Slithe signals to Monkian. The ape takes a strip of leather from his belt. Slithe holds my head still as Monkian ties it around my neck. I realize that it is Thundrainium, far too late to react. It burns and stings my skin like the mist had, but more intense. The mist must have been made from diluted Thundrainium, because it didn't hurt as much as the collar does. I try to pull it off, but it burns the palms of my hands. It feels like my neck and hands are submerged in boiling water.

They grab me by my arms then lift me off of the ground. "Take him to Mumm-ra, yesss?" Slithe says, then I'm dragged into the Castle. Slithe digs his claws into my skin, making me flinch in pain.

We come to a wooden door that has hieroglyphics carved into it. The door opens, revealing Mumm-ra who is seated on a throne of skulls, Ma-mutt on his lap with the Sword of Plun-darr at his side.

I'm dragged forwards then forced to my knees in front of the mummy, the ropes around my wrists and neck keeping me down. "So, Lion-O," he says as he stands up and starts to walk towards me "Playing the hero, are we now? I know I should have killed you when I had the chance!" He grabs the Sword of Omens and the Claw Shield from my hands.

I roar then struggle again. "Give them back, you fucking decrepit Egyptian relic!" The ropes holding me start to fray and snap, but not without cutting into my skin. Howether, before I can attack Mumm-ra, Slithe grabs his rifle from his side then hits me around the head with it. Blood trickles down the side of my face and nausea overwhelms me as I see stars momentarily.

As I'm dragged from the room, Mumm-ra shouts "Tear his fangs and claws out if you have to!" The stench of mould and stagnant water is enough to make me feel sick, but, defeated, I let them drag me down the corridor. I should have but up more of a fight, but they had me 'cornered'. By the time I'm dragged into the dungeon, I'm nearly unconscious. There's a cell waiting for me, so I'm dragged in then chained up. My shoulders feel as if they're going to pop completely out of joint from the weight of my body exerted on them. The Thundrainium collar is slipped from around my neck, but is replaced by another, made of both heavy metal and leather, that makes my fur stand on end from the electricity that runs through it. It's a shock collar. "Set it at 5,000 volts. And if that's not enough to shock him into submission, raise it by another 5,000 volts." Slithe hisses as I look up "I'll be back for you once Mumm-ra decidesss what he wantsss to have done to you, yesss? I wouldn't be sssurprised if he'sss going to have you killed."

They walk out, and minutes later, I hear a familiar voice scream.

"LION-O!"

I look up, just as Cheetara is dragged into the cell opposite me. I can see the tears streaming down her cheeks as she is forced onto the floor. "Lion-O...you're really alive!" she says as she stands up.

I don't say anything in response to her, though. I feel like I've failed them. "Cheetara, I..." I say, but something is sprayed into my face from the collar, stinging my eyes and throat; citric acid. The perfect anti-talking trick. Typical.

"You don't have to say anything; you tried your best." She says softly. That makes me feel even guiltier. "I've let you down..." I choke through the acid that is sprayed in my face. It's not fair. I pull on the chains again. "Lion-O, you tried. But we'll get out of here." Cheetara says as she stands up. I sigh then lick the inside of my teeth. My ears are ringing and my head still hurts from when I was hit by Slithe. "What would it matter? It's my fault that we're here in the first place. Why am I the king of New Thundera if all I do fails?" I say in a weak voice. I can feel the blood trickling down my abdomen from the freshly opened wound.

I hear the cell door open, and I look up at Slithe as he walks in. "You're very lucky today, Lion-O. Lord Mumm-ra will let you live if you are hisss persssonal ssservant, yesss?" he hisses as he unclips the chains from the overhead rings. My body drops to the floor as my weight is put on my numb legs. I fall to my knees, and my ankle twists with a sickening crunch. I groan in pain, but Slithe punches me around the back of my head as he roars "GET UP!"

I get to my feet, and am roughly seized by my mane then dragged out of the cell. The wretched snake hits me on my back with the chains before forcing me to walk forwards past the cells that contain the other Thundercats. I can't bring it upon myself to look at them as I am forced towards the door. Jackalman opens it, and then he joins Slithe by taking one of the chains from him. I am roughly pulled around and struck when I fight against them. "Keep up like that, and I'll have your hide for a fur coat, yesss?" Slithe snaps as he digs the sharp point of a dagger into my back. He keeps jabbing me with it every time that I stop.

The door to Mumm-ra's throne room is pushed open, and I am dragged in. "He'sss your ssslave now, oh mighty Mumm-ra!" Slithe hisses as I am forced to my knees before the throne for a second time. The shock collar around my neck is turned up to the maximum setting. Slithe gives Mumm-ra the remote, and says "If he doesn't do as you asssk, you can shock him into submission. Like this." Then, he presses the button. I scream in pain as electricity shoots through my body. I can feel my muscles seizing up as the shock continues. I start frothing at the mouth as the voltage is turned up to the highest voltage.

"That's quite enough now, Slithe." Mumm-ra says as I collapse to the hard stone floor writhing and convulsing uncontrollably from the electricity coursing through my body, tearing at the collar around my neck. The snake gives the remote to Mumm-ra, and then gives Jackalman a whip. "If he as much as steps slightly out of line, thrash him to within an inch of his life!" he hisses as he walks out of the room, closing the door behind him. Jackalman gives me a tub of warm, soapy water and a scrubbing brush as he shouts "GET TO WORK, LION-O! I WANT THIS FLOOR SO SHINY THAT I CAN SEE MY FUCKING FACE IN IT!"

He cracks the whip right next to my head, making me jump, spilling some of the water on the floor. "Get on with it! Put your fucking back into it! Use more elbow-grease!" Jackalman yells as he drives the whip into my back. I roar in pain as the hard leather knot at the end is driven into my flesh down to the bone. I grit my teeth against the pain as I scrub at the flagstones. Blood trickles down my back as Jackalman whips me again. It's so painful. "Well, Lion-O. Who'd ever think that you were going to end up as my personal slave?" Mumm-ra says as he runs his thumb over the button on the remote.

"You wouldn't!" I growl, and then Jackalman takes it upon himself to force my head into the bucket of water. I struggle against him and fight to move, but he keeps my head held firmly under the water. I lash out with my claws fully forth, and strike home. Jackalman yelps in pain and rushes back, five deep, bloody gashes on his muzzle. I quickly throw my head back, spraying water everywhere as I cough violently. "You fucking bastard! I'll make you pay for that, Thundercat!" Jackalman shouts as he raises the whip above his head, trying to strike fear in my heart. "It won't work on me, you son of a bitch!" I snarl as I push myself up onto my elbows. He lunges at me, digging his fangs into my neck and squeezing tightly. I retaliate by using my claws to shred at his shaggy brown fur, and biting into his muzzle whilst trying to tear his throat out with my bare hands.

"That's enough!" I hear Mumm-ra shout, and Jackalman releases me "What use are you if you lose your temper so quickly? Get out of this room!"

Jackalman is sent out in disgrace, blood dripping from his wounds as Mumm-ra snarls "Did I say you could stop your job, Lion-O? GET BACK TO WORK!"

I growl as I take the scrubbing brush and start to re-clean the floor tiles. "Make sure that you clean up the blood! I don't want this room stinking like a slaughterhouse!" Mumm-ra roars as I lug the bucket of water to the window then tip it out before re-filling it. "This place is a slaughterhouse, anyway! All you're trying to do is kill us Thundercats! I won't stand for it! You can't boss us around! Good will never succumb to evil, no matter the odds!" I roar as I run towards him. Howether, the heavy chains around my ankles get caught on a hook in the floor. He grins at me with his grotesquely twisted face as he presses the button on the shock collar's remote control. The charge shoots through my body as the electricity ravages my body. I scream and claw at the collar, my claws gouging into the flesh of my neck as warm blood trickles down my hands. He releases the button, leaving me lying panting on the floor, cut and bloodied from my desperate clawing at my own neck

"This is all your fault, Lion-O! Like a fool, you impulsively rushed into danger, and was captured because of your own thoughtlessness!" Mumm-ra says in a taunting tone as he watches me get up.

I look up at the ancient mummy as he stands before me. With shaking hands, I grab the scrubbing brush and dunk it in the freshly filled pail of water, trying to avoid a fight, seeing as I'm completely unarmed. The aftershock of having 10,000 volts courses through my entire body, blood leaking from the deep gouges. "I think you'd better see Pumyra after doing that to yourself, Lion-O. If you leave it, you could...bleed to death." he says as he looks at the condition of my body. My muscles are violently twitching, and my fur is standing on end.

"Nothing was ever my fault, you sadistic, twisted bag of bones!" I mumble beneath my breath as I scrub at the flagstones where my blood had dripped on to the floor. "I'm sorry, Lion-O. I'm not quite sure that I heard that! Would you please...repeat...it for me? I'm not as young as I once was." Mumm-ra snarls sarcastically as he reaches for the control to the shock collar again, but his hand just hovers over the device as he says "I can see that you're not going to learn to hold your tongue in this place with shocks alone! But, maybe, regular, heavy beatings will teach you a lesson!

"You were defeated and enslaved because of your own stupidity and impatience!" He drags me towards him with a spell. The heavy shackles around my wrists and ankles seem to be dragging me down, but he grabs them before swinging them like a rope and beating me around the face with the slack ends. The metallic tang of blood fills my mouth, but I ignore it. He throws me to the floor then shouts "Keep working! Unless you want to end up as a lion skin rug on the floor in my pyramid, which I bet you wouldn't! Talk to me like that again, and I'll grind your bones to dust then sell the dust for medicine!"

I force myself to my feet as I growl "No! You can't boss me around! You don't own me, or any of the other Thundercats!"

My sudden outburst infuriates him, to the point where I piss him off to such a level that he shouts "You are to do EXACTLY as I say, Lion-O! Don't forget that I've got the power to kill you, and no-one would know because disposing of your body would be an easy task." He marches towards me, and I'm expecting to receive a hefty punch in the face, but he says another spell in an ancient, lost language that makes me float in midair whilst he attaches my shackles to some overhead rings. What's he going to do now? Leave me here for days on end without food or water?

"You're a fool, Lion-O!" he says as he steps back "Bring in the she-cat Cheetara!" he commands to the Monkian who guards the door. The ape walks out of the door as Mumm-ra turns to look at me. "Whatever you're planning, it'll never work! I'll NEVER submit to you! I'm a Thundercat, and proud to be one!" I snarl as I struggle against the chains around my wrists and ankles. Mumm-ra chuckles as the ape walks back in minutes later, dragging Cheetara behind him. She's tied up with thick ropes to stop her from escaping, but it doesn't stop her from trying to break them. "I know how much you love Cheetara, but does she love you back? Let's see how brave she thinks you are!" Mumm-ra says as he raises his hand to point at me. He starts chanting in his mysterious language, making me feel nervous. There's a blinding flash of red lightning which bolts towards me, hitting me square in the chest. I can feel my body getting drastically hotter as what feels like fire covers my body. I scream in pain as an unbearable burning sensation spreads under my skin. I can feel sweat trickling down my back as the burning rapidly melts into a raging inferno.

"Stop it! You're hurting him! Leave him alone!" Cheetara shouts as she struggles against the mutant, but she's drowned out by my screams of agony. I feel as if I'm being submerged in boiling water. I writhe and twist in agony as the heat intensifies. With the remainder of my failing strength, I pull on the chains around my wrists, and they snap. I fall to the floor, panting rapidly from the pain. Mumm-ra stands over me and says "Can't handle the heat, cub?" I look at him then say "Once I get out, I'll make you pay for everything you've done!"

He looks at me, and then kicks me in the chest with enough force to break my ribs as he says "I'm superior to you in every way, now. Now that I've got the Sword of Omens, ending your life will be easier than taking candy from a baby!" He grabs me around the throat then lifts me clean off of the floor. "I'm disappointed by your lack of fighting back, Lion-O. You're nothing but a pathetic excuse for a leader," he turns to the Monkian and says "Have him beheaded at sundown today!"

"NO!"

The voice is clear in the room. I look up, and see the jackal-headed man standing before us. He's wearing some type of material around his waist, and is wearing a golden headdress. His eyes are glowing green, but flash red.

"He may be the enemy, but he has a life ahead of him. He would do well as a servant to evil. Let him live."

Mumm-ra looks horrified. "But, mighty Anubis, you said it yourself. He is the enemy. Therefore, he must die..." he begins, but is interrupted by Anubis growling and snapping "And if you kill him, you'll have his tainted blood on your hands. If the Thunderians found out that you'd killed their king, then you'd have a full-blown war on your hands. Let the boy live, even if he is a Thundercat. Is his life worth losing countless mutant ones?"

"No, but if I killed Lio..."

"No! Let Lion-O live, unless you're willing to make cowards out of your allies, and a martyr of yourself. The Lord of the Thundercats has enough power in his blood to kill you in a battle. After all, you did kill his ancestor, Satos. That wretched lion's soul resides within the Eye of Thundera, which is why you cannot touch it without harming yourself. If you kill Lion-O, you'll enrage the soul of Satos."

"Satos is dead and buried! Do you seriously think that I fear him? That cat was a coward! He deserved to die! And because he's the boy's ancestor, that means that Lion-O carries Satos' blood. Don't you think that makes him a dangerous enemy to us?"

"Enough arguing! Let him live!"

The jackal disappears, and Mumm-ra turns his rage on me. He throws me against the floor then puts a heavy foot on my chest. "I don't have to listen to a word of what he says. He just thinks that he can control me." he says as he raises the Sword of Plun-darr above his head. He swings it down in a blow that would take my head clean off of my shoulders. I close my eyes, waiting for the blow that would kill me, but it never comes. I open my eyes. The jagged-edged blade of the sword is mere inches from my face, and I can see the outline of Satos standing before me.

"You not going to harm this boy, Mumm-ra!" the ghostly lion growls as he prowls towards Mumm-ra.

"And I suppose that you're going to stop me, how?" the ancient devil priest snarls as he raises the Sword of Plun-darr above his head then brings it down again. Satos growls then disappears, seconds before I feel immense power surging through my body. I stand up then growl before taking a step forward. I can see the fear in Mumm-ra's eyes.

"You're truly a monster with the evilest intentions of anyone I've ever known," I...well...Satos snarls in a voice that's deep, guttural and filled with hatred, but I can still detect my own voice. He's using my life force to exact his revenge; he's got full control over my body "And just like you, all of your servants of evil deserve to die! And I'm going to make sure that it happens! And I'm going to start with you!" I seize Mumm-ra by his shoulders then lift him clean off of the floor as I growl "This boy has enough strength in his body to tear you apart! I'll tear your throat clean out of your scrawny little neck with my bare teeth! I'll bite into your flesh and eat away until your head comes clean off! Whatever I do, I'm going to make sure that you suffer for taking my life the way you did! I'll make sure that you feel the agony that I did that night, and there'll be no-one to mourn over your mutilated, mangled body because nobody will care that you're dead!" I'm not in control of my own body as I open my mouth and reach to sink my fangs into Mumm-ra's throat. He panics and tries to push me off of him, but my hands clamp down harder on his shoulders as he struggles.

I fight against my own body as Satos tries to get me to bite into Mumm-ra's rotting flesh. I finally manage to let the mummy go and throw him against the wall. "What the fuck are you doing boy? Let me finish him, Lion-O, and I'll let you go." The voice comes out of my own mouth as Satos struggles for control over my body. "No! Thundercats...do not...kill!" I growl as I fall to my knees. Hot tears of agony flow down my cheeks as my head pounds. It hurts. "Don't fight against me, boy! Unless you want to die!" I...Satos growls as he forces me to get to my feet. "You wouldn't kill me! You're my ancestor. Plus, I'm the Lord of the Thundercats!" I spit viciously as I fall to my knees again. I feel my strength drain as a voice says "Fine," I look up and see Satos standing before me "If you won't do it, then I suppose that I'll have to kill him myself!" The lion turns and looks at Mumm-ra as he lies slumped against the wall. He walks towards the ancient devil priest, but stops in his tracks as I say "I know what happened between you two! He murdered you by pushing you over a cliff! You don't have to get your revenge this way! You don't have to kill him! He's after your soul, just like he was when he first killed you!"

Satos growls then launches at Mumm-ra, who swings the Sword of Plun-darr at the ghost; it just passes through the lion's body, which just passes through his body with ease. I try to stand up, but I can't find the strength to. I realize that Satos is still attached to my soul. He doesn't realize that he's still using up my strength as his own. He growls before lunging at Mumm-ra again. Everything is slowly blurring as I realize that I'm slowly falling unconscious. My head is pounding again, and I can't feel my legs or arms. Everything is going numb as Satos uses up my life force as his. The sound of buzzing fills my ears as the blackness takes over...

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**When a harsh winter strikes Third Earth, escape is on the minds of Lion-O and the other Thundercats as Mumm-ra makes his first attempt to kill the young Lord of the Thundercats. With his life on the line, Lion-O and the others break out of the castle and make a break for the Tower of Omens, but when Lion-O falls sick, the Thundercats find themselves being held back by their ill lord. Can they escape from Third Earth and get back to the safety of New Thundera, or will Lion-O cause them to be re-captured?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	5. Chapter 4: A Favour House Atlantic

_**A/N: I can't believe how quickly this chapter was written! In 4 days? Sheesh! Well, it just means that you guys have more story to read. :3 Anyway, please enjoy!**_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream: Dream**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Friendship and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Graphic scenes of violence, gore and explicit language**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Saturday 11**__**th**__** April 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): N/A YET**_

_**Song/s: A Favour House Atlantic by Coheed and Cambria**_

Chapter 4: A Favour House Atlantic

"Lion-O! Get up, you ignorant brat! I said WAKE UP!"

I shudder as ice-cold water is thrown over me. A bright light is shone in my face as I hear a rattling sound in the lock of my cell. The room is uncomfortably cold, almost polar. A strong gust of wind rattles the bars of the window as snow swirls in the grey sky outside. I roll onto my back as a dark shadow looms above me. Still under the heavy effects of having Satos use my soul as his own, I half-heartedly search for my shirt on the floor.

I look up and watch with caution as Slithe and Mumm-ra approach me. Slithe grins as he turns a little remote in his hands. He presses a button as he turns a dial. I scream in agony as an electric charge shoots through my body from the shock collar that is tied around my neck. Mumm-ra laughs and says "Do it again Slithe! It's teaching him a lesson on messing with us!" I scream again as another agonizing electric current jolts through my body as Slithe presses the button again. Shaking, I beg and plead "Please, no more!" Slithe grins and pushes the button once more. I scream and roar in agony again and pull with all my might against the cruel shackles chained around my wrists as my fur stands on end from the electricity coursing through my body.

"SLITHE! MUMM-RA! STOP IT! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!" I cry.

"That's enough now, Slithe," Mumm-ra cackled "Unchain him and tie this collar around his neck then throw him into the pool."

I pant as Slithe slips the inhumane shock collar from around my neck, but I realize that the other one is a thousand times worse; my strength drains almost instantly as he ties it around my throat. "There's Thundrainium in that collar, so if you try and tear it off, it'll severely burn your hands." Mumm-ra snarls. The pair drag me down the corridor and into a massive room. I smell chlorine, and realize that there is water, far too late to react. I'm thrown over the ledge, falling until I hit the surface with a splash. My thick mane sticks to my face and I try to keep my eyes closed. I swim to the surface, choking and gasping for air, before water washes over my head, dragging me under whilst I'm still breathing in. Water gushes down my throat as the muscles in my neck spasm, making me breathe in more water. I struggle to swim towards the surface again, but my muscles are cramping and seizing. I can feel my consciousness slowly draining as I struggle for air. I'm going to die. I claw at the tiled edge of the pool, but it's far too slippery for me to get a decent grip...

I weakly open my eyes as water is thrown over me like this morning, and look up at Jackalman as he stands above me like a master above his dog. The miserable mutant bends down over me and pulls something from my throat. I look at the tube that is dripping with water and my saliva. I violently choke as more water flows from my mouth and nose. Has that really been down my throat? I groan as my gag reflex kicks in and I begin to vomit up water. Jackalman jumps aside as the contents of my stomach spill onto the floor.

"Do you even have any dignity, Lion-O?" he barks cruelly.

"Yes..." I gag as I heave again, violently throwing up more water. My throat aches but I feel better now that most of the water is gone from my stomach, but it's all over the floor. Jackalman looks disgusted as he starts to mop it all up.

"What's wrong Jackalman? Don't like mopping up vomit?" I taunt him.

"Shut your face or I'll shut it for you!" he snaps..

He grumbles and backs out of the cell, carrying a bucket filled with vomited water before slamming the door closed and twisting the key in the lock. I close my eyes, sit back and relax. "Lion-O? Are you awake?" I hear Cheetara say. "Yes and Jackalman's in disgrace!" I laugh, and look up as Monkian stops before my cell. He gibbers before saying "Enjoy it whilst it lasts! You're not getting anything else to eat or drink for the rest of the week!"

There's a rattle and the hatch on the bottom of my cell door opens; a plate of raw meat is pushed into my small cell along with a bowl of water. I glare at Monkian as I growl "What do you take me as, you bastard? A wild animal?"

The hideous mutant grins then walks off.

I cautiously walk up to the bowl and sniff the meat. The animal side of me wants to eat it, but my human side tells me to leave it. After minutes of fighting my instincts, my desire and hunger take over, so I devour the meat, realizing that it is rabbit. It barely even touches the sides of my throat as I hungrily swallow it whole then turn my head to the bowl of water and drink it instantly. "You're actually eating that meat? It could have been poisoned!" Cheetara says, but I ignore her and finish the rabbit before licking the plate clean.

"I'm going to get us out of here today, Cheetara! I may have failed first time round, but I'm sure that I'll get us out!" I say as I look out of the window.

"I don't think that that's a good idea, Lion-O. Ever since you were captured, Mumm-ra's had loads of traps installed. Our chances are incredibly slim." she says as a gust of wind blows snow into my face.

I sigh before walking up to the door of the cell. I grab the bars and lean against them, not expecting them to swing open with an ear-piercing screech. Jackalman didn't lock the door! But...why? I look up at Cheetara as I get to my feet. "Looks like the luck's finally going our..." I begin, but I get cut off by the sound of a guard running towards us. I glimpse at the wretched mutant, and see that it's brandishing a laser rifle like a machete. "Cheetara, I'll be back for you! I promise!" I shout, then I turn around and run towards the open door. Instinct takes over and I run left, which leads me down a long, winding corridor. My footsteps echo in the cavernous interior, sounding like gunshots in my mind.

The alarm blares throughout the castle as I run on. I can hear heavy footsteps behind me. Shit! They've found me! I frantically look around, and the air vent catches my attention. I start to edge my way into it as the voices get louder. I gulp, before starting to crawl through it. I can hear the metal creaking as I go further into it. I only hope that this thing can support my weight. I look out of the grills on the side, and see Mumm-ra with Slithe, Jackalman, Monkian and Vultureman around a table. I press my ear against the cold metal in order to hear what they're saying, but what I hear doesn't make me want to hang around very much longer.

"He's escaped!"

"It's your fault, you son of a bitch!"

"Well, little does that wretched Thundercat knows is that we can turn on the incinerator and burn him to death if he's in the ventilation system, yesss?"

Without thinking, I throw my head back, hitting the roof of the vent with a dull crash. "Shit!" I snarl, and then I clamp my hand over my mouth when I realize what I've just done.

They all turn to look at the vent, as if they can actually see me. "And, it seems that the Lord of the Thundercats is eavesdropping on us. Slithe, Jackalman, get in there and get after him!" Mumm-ra shouts as they run up to the vent.

"Well, looks like I'm stuck for sticks. Can't go back; have to go forwards!" I mumble beneath my breath, before starting to crawl through the ventilation shaft. It starts to get slightly bigger, so I start to run on all fours.

"He's getting away! Come on, Jackalman! Get your fat arse out of my face!" I hear Slithe shout, his voice echoing in the vent.

"I'm trying Slithe, but Lion-O's faster than we are! He can actually fit down here! We're not agile enough!"

"Well, it's your fault for eating the bones from the kitchen, isn't it?"

My footsteps echo loudly as I pick up the pace. I come to a fork in the vent, and decide to take a right turn this time, which is a mistake. The vent begins to get thinner, meaning that I can only just fit through. I put one hand on the grills before me, and fall through the vent as my weight breaks the rusted metal. My head is the first thing to hit the hard ground, knocking me senseless momentarily. I can hear Slithe and Jackalman laughing at me from above. I look up, just as they pull the vent closed. I hear them laughing again.

"He's still conscious after that fall! Mumm-ra, you have to shoot him with that tranquillizer gun, yesss?"

I hear a deafening explosion, then something stings my right shoulder. I grab whatever's lodged in my flesh, and see the tranquillizer dart in the palm of my hand. The effects are instantaneous. My eyesight starts to blur as I look down at my hands, and refuses to clear when I blink or shake my head again. I can feel my arms and legs deadening. I fall to my knees as I feel increasingly drowsy and light headed. I lie on my side with my eyes closed, breathing deeply, hoping that it'll pass quickly...

I open my eyes to the soft, flickering light of a candle. The wind howls outside, extinguishing the candle and swamping the cell in darkness. I shiver in the cold, damp corner of the room, pulling the thin blanket around my shoulders for warmth. An owl screeches from overhead as snow blows into the window. It's so dark that I can't see anything. I bury myself in the pile of straw that I'm lying on, and find that it actually makes it warmer, but only a little.

"Lion-O! Lion-O, wake up!"

I open my eyes and try to make out my surroundings in the pitch blackness.

"Che...Cheetara, is that you?" I say weakly, hating the loudness of my own voice. I hear the strike of a match, then there's a light that starts to burn brightly, bathing the room in bright light. I can just about make out the faces of my friends as they huddle round the candle.

"Come on, Lion-O. We're getting out of here today!"

I rub my eyes then stand up. Barely able to stand on my own two feet, I weakly stumble towards the door of my cell. "How come you're all out there, but I'm still stuck in here?" I ask, then Wilykat holds out his hand, in which are the keys to the cells.

"How'd you get that? They guard those keys like they're the crown jewels." I say as the young wildcat unlocks the door of my cell.

"Those mutants aren't going to outwit us Thundercats! They were so wrapped up in arguing about how you escaped that they didn't notice that I took the keys from their belts."

The door swings open with a deafening creak and I step out. "So, we're finally getting out of here, then?"

"Yup. Can't stand being here, if I do say so myself!"

We sneak past the other cells, our footsteps echoing in the cavernous hall until we stop in front of the dungeon door. I sigh as I place my hand on the cold steel. We're going home.

"This is it. Our way out. Now, once we get out of this dungeon, we're going to have to split up. We'll meet back up in the jungle, near the ruins of the old Cats lair. I've got to get the Sword of Omens from Mumm-ra and the mutants, then fight my way out of this castle through possible hordes of guards, so don't get worried if I'm not back before you are." I say as Wilykat slots a key in the lock. The door creaks, but doesn't open.

"Uhhh...slight problem, guys." Wilykat says as he looks at us.

"What?"

"I don't think that the key for the door is on here..."

We begin to push the door with all our might, but it's not getting us anywhere. The bloody door won't budge. "The key's gotta be on there somewhere! Are you sure that you're not looking properly?" I say as I push the door.

"I've tried all of them! It's not on here!"

I've had enough of this.

"Everyone, move out of the way!" I snarl as I step back.

I roar then run at top speed, towards the door. I'm not as fast as Cheetara, but I'm twice as heavy as her. I collide with the door, sideways on, knocking all the breath from my body. Howether, it works, though; the door swings outward, and we flood into the corridor. "Lion-O, take this." Cheetara says, and she presses a shard of metal into my palm. I nod before I put my hand out in front of me; the other Thundercats put their hands on top of mine.

"THUNDERCATS, HO!" we shout in unison, then turn and run in different directions. I run in the direction that I believe is the direction of the control room. My ribs ache from throwing myself at the door and my abdomen is wet and sticky with blood. I skid to a stop as I hear voices. I sniff the air cautiously, and detect the all too familiar stench of mutant. "Oh God! That smells awful!" I think to myself. The mutants have never been very good with personal hygiene. One of the voices is croaky and the other is harsh and ape-like, embellished with a slight gibber. Great. Just great. Mutant guards. Exactly what I need, right now. In blind panic, I flatten myself against a side wall.

The mutant guards walk straight past me; they haven't seen me! I sigh with relief and turn to walk back out, just when the ape-like mutant appears in the doorway.

"I thought could smell a cat! But, it got better! It's a lion!" he roars with laughter as he grabs my mane and hauls me out into the main corridor, in front of his frog-like friend. I growl, snarl and hiss menacingly at them, showing my fangs as much as possible. I still have the metal shard. The monkey throws me against the wall, and I slide down it, the blunt end of the shard digging into my chest. I throw the jagged metal at the ape, and it hits him in the right eye, blinding him because the other is milky white. He screams in pain then attempts to pull the shard out, ripping his eye out in the process.

I turn then start to run, but the frog throws something hard and heavy at me from behind, which knocks me over. I sit up then edge away from it. "You're not going anywhere, cub!" the frog croaks. I keep backing away until I find myself pressed against a wall; I'm cornered. I can feel the frog's hot breath on my face. Horrible creature. I stand up as the frog hops towards me, and the monkey blindly stumbles towards us. Claustrophobia washes over me and I leap at the frog, sinking my fangs into his throat. Salty, metallic blood fills my mouth as I slowly tear his throat out, spraying his lifeblood onto the floor and walls.

His lifeless body goes limp, so I release him. I spit the mutant's blood at the ape, and then leap at the wretched creature. His scream echoes in the corridor as I brutally kill him. I hate the taste of mutant blood. The stuff drips from my mouth and chin. I bet I look crazy.

My abdomen burns and my back stings. It's awful what those mutants did to me. They tried to drown me earlier by throwing me into a deep pool of ice cold water. I run from the bodies and continue on to where I was originally headed. When I come to another door, I hear muffled voices. I skid to a stop, then press my ear against the wood.

"What do you mean, they've escaped? Do you mean to say that the wretched Thundercat Lion-O is roaming freely about this castle?"

"Yes, Mumm-ra. I found two of our guards, lying dead, with their throats torn out. They both had scarlet lion's hair under their claws. It was obviously Lion-O who killed them. He's the only Thunderian lion that we've captured."

Slithe.

I growl then pick up speed again, bursting right through the door.

"LION-O!" Slithe and Mumm-ra shout in unison.

"Yeah. So what? It's me." I growl. I raise my hand then shout "Sword of Omens, come to my hand! I, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats command it!"

The sword flies out of Mumm-ra's hand and through the air, towards me, much to the displeasure of Mumm-ra.

"Ancient spirits of evil! Transform this decayed form to Mumm-ra the ever living!" he shouts, then he begins to transform in front of my eyes, his bones creaking as he grows. I catch the sword one handed then point it at Mumm-ra, placing my other hand on the silver hilt. "HO!" I shout. Blue lightning bolts shoot from the sword and fly towards the evil, ancient mummy. He roars then unsheathes the Sword of Plun-darr and blocks the bolts. "I liked you better when you were dead, Lion-O!" he snarls as we clash. I swing at the Sword of Plun-darr, wrenching it from his grip as Slithe grabs his axe then races towards me.

Steel strikes steel as we circle each other, swinging our weapons at one another and blocking fatal blows. "Give in, Lion-O! You will never defeat me!" Slithe snarls as he swings his axe towards me. I defensively bring the sword up in front of me and deflect his blow. He swings again, obviously trying to get at my throat. I catch his axe on the Sword of Omens and throw the axe blade away. Slithe hisses angrily then swings again. I misjudge the trajectory of his axe and jump.

The blade cuts across my sternum, catching me by surprise. I look down, expecting to see blood gushing from a gaping wound, but there's nothing except a shallow cut, no blood at all. Just a flesh wound. Slithe swings again, with far less power. I bring the sword up again and swing back at him, my timing off by miles.

The blade cuts deep into my forearm, down to the bone. Blood dribbles from the wound as I roar in agony and back away from the wretched mutant. I'm wasting time by fighting these two. I look down at my chest as I cover my bleeding arm with my right hand. Blood begins to trickle from the cut across my sternum. I back away from Slithe again before looking behind him, and seeing the open door. "If I could just..." I think to myself. I drop down then slide through Slithe's legs as he swings the axe downwards. I get up, run towards the door as fast as I can and wrench the claw shield from Mumm-ra's grip. "Stop him!" Mumm-ra shouts as he gets up "Don't let him escape!"

I keep running, my breath burning in my chest. I'm not free yet. The other Thundercats must all be free and waiting for me by now. I'm going to look quite a shock to them now. I'm out of the door. "This is it!" I think to myself "I'm finally free! I've only been enslaved for two days, but I'm finally free!"

But, it's not going to be as easy as I first thought; loads of guards swarm around the corner, towards me through the cramped corridor. "Oh! Not again!" I whisper. I run straight through the horde.

I'm cut in different places, but none are deep and they only bleed a little. Panting heavily, I struggle onwards until I'm clear of them, then I pick up speed again until I'm running at my fastest. I can hear the mutants' shouts behind me. I run through twisting corridors until I finally make it out of the main door. I leap into the moat and begin to frantically swim to the other side. I don't know why, but those mutants really hate cats. The 'water' stings all the cuts. My back burns and my scar tingles uncomfortably.

I hear splashes as the mutants push each other into the moat after me. I continue swimming until I reach the other side. I catapult myself out of the water and run through the thick shrubbery and scrub. My body aches. I look at the sky. The sun is just starting to rise. I look behind me as the mutants climb out of the moat. I run quicker, dropping down onto all fours, knowing that I can run fastest that way. A thick snow begins to fall. My footsteps crackle in the white powder, throwing it up into my face. I run as fast as I can, but my wounds are slowing me down. I feel so weak from blood loss.

I can hear someone calling my name. "Lion-O? Lion-O, is that you?" Wait...I recognize that voice. It's Cheetara.

"Cheetara! Keep running! The mutants are right behind me!" I shout. She comes into my view. She's waiting with the others. "Run! Quickly! They're right behind me!" I shout. They get up and run in front of me. They seem so fast to me. I can't keep up with them through the snow. I stumble and nearly trip over. "Come on, Lion-O! We've gotta get away quickly!" Cheetara cries. She grabs me then says "Hold onto me, Lion-O! I'm going into full speed." I lock my arm around her shoulder and she speeds up. Blood still drips from my wounds, meaning that Cheetara's arm is wet with the stuff, but she still holds onto me. We keep running until we can no long hear or smell the mutants. Then, we stop.

Cheetara releases me. I collapse to the ground, and I can't get up again. "Lion-O...OH MY GOD! What happened to you?" she gasps as she spots my arm. "Me...And S...Slithe fought. He...he hit my arm w...with his axe. C...cut down to t...the bone!" I stutter, and then I black out.

I open my eyes to a nagging, agonizing pain in my wounded arm. I can smell food cooking over a fire, and I can hear muffled, distorted voices. I weakly lift my head and look around. I can see that there are fat fish, various bits of wild pheasant and candy fruit cooking on spits over a roaring camp fire. The smell is making me hungry. I see the other Thundercats huddled around the fire, talking.

"He was seriously injured. The wound went all the way down to the bone. And, the cut on his chest was deeper than it looked. He's lucky that he survived. He could have bled out because of his arm. I'm surprised that he actually managed to fight his way out of that castle."

"But will he be ok?"

"He'll be fine Cheetara."

I try to sit up, but I can't. I groan in pain and rub my head. I notice the bandage that is wrapped around my left forearm before I realize that I'm topless. Mt shirt and belt are slung over a tree branch, obviously drying from having my blood washed from them. Cheetara is sitting right next to me. She obviously heard me groan because she turns around and looks at me.

"Lion-O. You're awake!" she says softly. I try to sit up again so she helps me sit up.

"I expect you're rather hungry and thirsty." Pumyra says as she walks towards us, carrying a water skin and three spits.

I eat ravenously, ripping into the meat and fish. It's smoked haddock; my favourite. I eat my fill then drink from the water skin.

"How...where are we?" I ask weakly.

Tygra replies "About a day's walk from the ruins of the old Cats lair."

"How long have I been unconscious?" I whisper as I lie back down on the ground in the sleeping bag.

"About 17 hours. We had to drag you here after you collapsed." Pumyra replies as she opens her medical kit.

I feel as if I've been drugged. "I've think I'm going mad. Why are the walls of the cave spinning?" I groan as I lie back down, feeling thoroughly nauseated.

"That'll be the wild herbs that we dosed you with taking effect on you. I know that they'll make you high as a kite, but they're natural painkillers," Pumyra explains as she pulls a hypodermic needle and phial from the bag.

"What's that?" I ask as she fills it from the phial.

"It's liquid penicillin. It'll help with getting rid of any bacteria in your wound." She presses the needle into my arm, making me yelp and flinch involuntarily from the pain. She pulls the needle from my arm before putting a piece of cotton wool on the injection site and taping it down.

"Anyway, how are we getting back to New Thundera? We've gotta get the Thundertank back, too, which will be a rather difficult task because of the thick undergrowth." I say to Panthro.

He simply replies "The Feliner is at the Tower of Omens. You see, I planned ahead, unlike you!"

I scowl and whisper beneath my breath "Show off."

"Oh, for Jaga's sake! Will you two stop it? What's with the hostility between you two? Anyway, we're leaving for the Tower of Omens about an hour before sunrise. So try and get the sleep that you need." Cheetara says as she drags a sleeping bag up to me and lies it down beside me. She gets into it then faces me. She's so beautiful...but I've never told her about the feelings I have towards her: I'm nervous that she'd hate me.

Her mane glows like polished gold and her eyes sparkle like diamonds as she looks at me. Just as I am about to speak to her, she rolls over, into my arms. I'm so shocked that I can't say anything. "Got you by surprise there, Lion-O." she purrs as she snuggles up to me.

The chilling winter wind sweeps through our makeshift camp. Thank Jaga we're shielded from the snow. Cheetara is asleep within minutes, but I lie awake. I have too many thoughts on my mind to rest. There's something malicious going on that no-one is telling me about. And I bet that I can guess who is behind all of this.

I eventually fall asleep, but I feel absolutely awful when I wake up. My nose runs and my head feels extremely stuffy. "Come on, Lion-O! Get up, you lazy lion!" Cheetara snaps as she throws my shirt and belt at me. I get fully dressed. I can't stop shivering, even when I'm in my thick winter coat that the others stole from the castle.

We pack everything away. The rucksack on my back feels like it's increasing in weight as I trudge through the thick snow. I can feel my strength slowly fading the further we walk through the forest. Often, I would stumble and nearly fall over a boulder. The others are way in front of me. Every step I take sends pain through my body. My arm is pure agony and I don't want to go any further.

"Keep up, Lion-O! You're holding us all up!" Panthro shouts from way up in front.

"Give the guy a chance, Panthro! He's injured!" Pumyra says sternly.

"I think there's something else underlying that. Lion-O isn't usually like this. He's usually raring fit and ready to go; now he can't even keep up on us." Tygra says, as if I'm not even there.

We keep walking for miles. My body screams at me to rest, but I can't. It begins to snow even more at sunset. By nightfall, it's transformed into a raging blizzard. All of my limbs feel like lead weights and I shiver uncontrollably as I pull my coat around my shoulders and push my exhausted body to its limits. My breath forms mist in the air before me and snow flecks my blood red mane. I take one more step forwards. I can't go on. I'm exhausted. My foot gets caught in an upturned hidden tree root, making me stumble and collapse face down in the snow, unable to get back up. I'm extremely weak and cold. I don't have any physical strength left.

"There's definitely something wrong with him!" I hear Cheetara shout to the others. I can hear her approaching me. She kneels down in the snow, rests my right arm over her shoulders, and then lifts me up. "Come on, Lion-O. Just a little bit longer." she says softly, but her voice is filled with panic. I try walking again, but I can't. I trip over again, but Cheetara bears my weight until I can recover my stance. "Cheetara! Over here! There's a cave that we can shelter in overnight!" I hear Wilykat shout. Cheetara leads me in the direction of his voice, but I can't see anything through the thick, swirling snow. "Tygra! Help me!" Cheetara shouts. Tygra seems to materialize as he walks through the blizzard towards us.

He gently slings my left arm around his shoulder and says "We need to get him to the cave, quickly!" They half drag me and half carry me to the cave. Panthro is kneeling in the centre of the cave, trying to set fire to some kindling with a stolen flint and steel. Fire eventually roars to life, illuminating the cave with its soft glowing light and warmth, after 6 unsuccessful attempts. Pumyra's face falls when she sees me. "Lie him in his sleeping bag, and keep him close to the fire, but not too close." she says as she walks towards me, carrying her medical kit. "What's wrong?" I hear Cheetara ask. "He's ill. And judging on how pale he is, it's dangerous." Pumyra says as she pops a thermometer into my mouth. "Hmmm. His temperature is 38·C. He's got a slight fever," She takes a reading from the thermometer, then she presses her hand against my abdomen before putting a heat sensitive strip on my skin "And his body temperature is even higher; 39.47 degrees Celsius. I've got some medicine that should help."

She looks in her bag again then pulls out a jade phial. My abdomen is throbbing and my arm is excruciatingly painful. I feel so weak. I don't have any strength left to move my arms. Pumyra gently lifts my head up and holds the phial against my lips. "You've got to drink it all, Lion-O." she says, so I swallow the medicine, even though it tastes foul.

I look over at Snarf. He's by the fire, cooking some sort of delicious smelling stew. "H...how did you manage to...to get everything?" I whisper weakly. Pumyra replies "We stole most of the provisions from the castle. If we want to survive until we reached the Tower, then we needed food, water, medicine and other medical supplies, and stuff for sleeping." Cheetara walks over and kneels down beside me. "His health should start to increase overnight. If not, then I'll have to suspect that he's got influenza." Pumyra says as she walks over to Bengali then sits down with him, resting her head on his chest. "How long have they been in a relationship?" I ask, my voice no more than a weak whisper.

"They got together about two days after we thought that you'd been killed." she replies. I look over at Snarf again as he starts to dish the stew up.

Everyone collects their bowls from Snarf. Cheetara walks up to him and takes two bowls of the stew, then carries them towards me. She places one of the bowls on the ground then says "You're going to be happy after eating this. It's venison, your favourite."

She lifts my head up then holds the bowl against my lips. I'm absolutely starving. I hungrily drink the stew. It tastes so good. I absolutely love venison. I remember that when I was just a little cub, my father would go out hunting and shoot geese, deer, pigeons and ducks. I was once taken with him when I turned 11. I can remember holding the hunting rifle and shooting my first goose. My cousins were always very jealous of me when I went round to their house. They were horrid to me. They pushed me in the lake, tried to get me eaten by a two-tailed scorpion, told me scary stories about the girl in the white dress. They even went as far as to take me into the forest and leave me tied up in a tree until my stepmother found me, when I was just 4. My father always called them 'devil cubs' as a friendly nickname. One day, I got my revenge by staging a massive prank. They shit themselves and ran crying to my aunt Laila. "Keep that little brat of yours under control, Claudus!" she'd yelled at the top of her lungs, holding me rather roughly by my mane as she dragged me towards my parents, ignoring my cries of pain.

Cheetara starts to eat her stew. Pumyra gently starts to un-wrap the bandage on my arm, and I see the wound which has been sutured the best that she could do. As she wraps a clean bandage round my arm, then checks the scar on my abdomen. It's not as inflamed as it was, but it's still rather red. As I huddle up into the thick fur blanket for warmth, a strong gust of glacial wind rushes through the cave. Once the sun starts to set, Pumyra prepares another dose of the medicine. She takes the bottle out of her bag, and another one. She mixes the two together, then holds my head up so that I can take it. This time, it's cloyingly sweet like syrup, but also has a slightly bitter taste. Once I finish the medicine, I begin to feel drowsy. Then, I realize that Pumyra put sleep syrup into the medicine. "Do you have to keep...knocking me...out?" I say as I lay my head back on the pile of pine needles. I start to drift off, but it seems that Mumm-ra's not going to give up...

"**You thought that you could escape from me, Lion-O? It just so turns out that you were wrong!"**

**I look up at Mumm-ra as he looms above me. I growl, but no noise is made. Horrified, I reach for my throat, and my hand comes away bloodied. My throat's been slit...but, how? I look up at the ancient devil priest and bear my fangs. He laughs at my attempts and continues to taunt me. "You think that you're safe, but you couldn't be in more danger than you are now."**

**He waves a hand over his cauldron and forces me to watch the horrific images unveiling themselves in the vivid purple waters: the other Thundercats are all lying dead on the floor of Cat's Lair, and I'm standing over their bodies, covered in blood, wielding the Sword of Plun-darr. No!**

"**You see, Lion-O? That's your future! You think that you're a Thundercat and that you're of the purest, noblest blood, but at the end of the day, everyone is capable of immense evil. No-one is completely pure!" Mumm-ra snarls as he looks at me. I just bear my fangs again, unable to make a single sound because of my vocal chords being cut through earlier. "Greed, fear and ignorance are the factors that control our lives, Thundercat! No-one can escape it!"**

"NO!"

My eyes fly open, and I sit bolt upright. I can feel the sweat trickling down my back, chest and forehead as I pant heavily, my breath rising to form mist in the midnight winter air. My body is hot, and my throat feels like sandpaper. I roll over and start vomiting violently. I feel so sick. I think Cheetara was right. Maybe that raw meat was poisoned. Maybe I'm dying. But, how could Mumm-ra get into my dreams?

"Lion-O! Lion-O, are you ok?"

Cheetara sits up and wraps her arms around me, trying to calm my mind as I shiver. "Jeez, you're absolutely boiling! I think that you need to be taken back to New Thundera ASAP! Hopefully, once we're back at Cat's Lair, you'll recover fully." she says as the others wake up. "Speaking of which, we'd better get moving. It's nearly sunrise." Panthro says as he sits up. I just look around at the little camp as nausea washes over me again. Finally, after 2 years, we're going home.

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**The Thundercats finally manage to get back to their home planet of New Thundera, and love is in the air as Lion-O finds himself falling in love with Cheetara. Whilst he and his friends take time to recover from their traumatic experience on Third Earth, a problem crops up when Leo re-introduces himself to the Thundercats, whom he was part of as a cub, Will Lion-O recognise his older twin brother after so many years apart? Will Leo be able to make ties between the Ferrals and the Thundercats, both of whom couldn't be any more different? **_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	6. Chapter 5: Hey Brother

_**A/N: it's unbelievable how quickly the last chapter was uploaded. Within 4 days? CRAZY! FYI, Hey Brother is Leo's character song. I thought that it would also be perfect for this chapter. BTW, I'm sorry that this chapter jumps around quite a bit, but there are certain parts that I wouldn't be able to word in certain characters' perspectives...**_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage = ...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Graphic scenes of violence, gore and explicit language**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Thursday 16**__**th**__** April 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Sunday 3rd May 2015**_

_**Song/s: Hey Brother by Avicii **_

_**!UPDATE!**_

_**500 views reached on 3.5.15!**_

Chapter 5: Hey Brother

"Lion-O has made a fool of me for the last time! He must die!"

Slithe looks up at me as he says "But how? The only person who has ever been able to nearly defeat Lion-O is Grune, and you sent him to hell after he failed to kill that wretched Thundercat!"

"I know that, mutant! Howether, since they've escaped, we'll just have to go back to New Thundera."

"What do you mean by 'we'? If we mutants came to New Thundera, we'd have to rebuild Castle Plun-darr, yessss?

"Well. I guess that that's just what you'll have to do!"

The snake looks at me as he hisses "But we haven't got the supply of materials to be able to do that! Can't you teleport us there?"

"NO! WHY SHOULD I HELP YOU WHEN YOU LET LION-O ESCAPE IN THE FIRST PLACE?"

Slithe backs off as he says "Y...Yes, oh mighty Mumm-ra. Forgive me...my lord, yesss? I should never have asked."

"In fact, you may be lucky, just this once, mutant! I MIGHT give you a...helping hand."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"How is he, Pumyra? Will he be able to cope with the journey?"

The young puma gives me a grave expression as she looks up from the young lion lying on the bed in the sleeping compartment in the Feliner. "He's very sick, Cheetara. He's got a slight fever, but he can't stop vomiting. I think it's influenza. Howether, his condition is steady, so he should be fine for the journey. I think that it'd be a good idea that I stay here with him. When he wakes up, he'll be confused. You'll need to help with flying the Feliner." she says as she places a damp flannel on Lion-O's forehead. The young lion groans in his sleep and rolls over.

"Ok. Well, I'd better go and get ready for take-off." I say as I take one last glimpse at the sleeping lion, then walk out of the door. As I walk up to the flight deck, Snarf passes by me, obviously on his way to where Lion-O is. I see Panthro standing with Tygra and cough to get their attention. "Everyone's onboard, and Pumyra says that Lion-O will be able to cope with the flight." I say as I sit in my seat.

"Ok," Panthro says as him and Tygra take their seats "So, if we're gonna do it, let's do it!"

They pull their headsets on then initiate the flight sequence; the Feliner's engines hum as they power up then start to roar at their maximum capacity. The ground flies past beneath us as we pick up speed. I feel as if my stomach's been left behind as we climb in the early morning sky. "1,000 feet and climbing. We should be back on New Thundera by this time tonight. I think that we should crack open a bottle of champagne when we get back. Y'know, just to celebrate our victory over those mutants!" Tygra says in a humorous tone, which sounds exactly like something that Lion-O would say.

I lie back against the seat as I start to feel tired. I close my eyes as the fatigue takes over...

"Cheetara, c'mon. We're nearly there. Wake up!"

I open my eyes and the first thing I see is New Thundera before us. "I've been asleep for the whole journey? You should have woke me up! I'd have taken my turn piloting the Feliner whilst you and Tygra got some sleep." I say as I rub my eyes, but Panthro says "You needed to rest. Lion-O is fine; Pumyra said that his fever's broke. It was influenza, but it was somehow...cured.

The door opens, and a voice says "Well, I can tell that I've been asleep for the duration. Anyway, exactly how long have we got to wait until we reach New Thundera?"

I turn around and see Lion-O standing in the doorway, Pumyra behind him incase he faints. The lion takes a shaky step towards us as I stand up. Even though he tries to get me off of him, I help him into my seat. "I'll thank you for the assistance, but was it really necessary?" he says in annoyance. "You looked like you were just about to collapse. Anyway, we're about 5 minutes from entering the atmosphere. So, if you're going to stay here, you'd better buckle up." Panthro says as he flips some of the overhead switches on the controls.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Entering New Thundera's atmosphere in 5...4...3...2...1..."

What looks like flames spreads across the windscreen as we hit the atmosphere. The Feliner judders slightly, before the screen clears, revealing the early evening daylight. The fields and lakes below glow gold in the sunlight and I can see Cat's Lair standing majestically in the sunset, along with the city and the outlying settlements. Finally, we're home.

"Feliner to Pride 1, does anybody copy?" Panthro says into the microphone on his headset.

"Pride 1 receiving you loud and clear, Panthro. What kept ya? You've been gone for 2 years!" a voice says over the loudspeaker.

"I'll tell you when we get back, León-A. But during the meantime, you could at least lock us onto the runway!"

"Uhhh...Yes, sir! R...Right away, sir!" León-A says, and then the autopilot is activated. Panthro sits back in his seat as the engines start to power down slowly.

Within 5 minutes, we're on the ground. I jump out of the Feliner, and the second my feet touch the ground, the Sword of Omens growls in warning. Now what?

I unsheathe the sword from the Claw Shield and hold it in front of my face as I growl

"Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

What I see makes me confused, yet mad at the same time:

There's a lion hidden in the bushes, watching us, who looks exactly like me. He's wearing animal skin clothes, and his leather belt has a long dagger attached to it in a sheath. He doesn't seem to realize that he's been spotted, so I'll have to take him before he attacks.

I whirl around and run towards the dense tree line and, with a deafening roar like thunder, I leap over the bush and land on top of the lion, startling him. "Lion-O! What the hell are you doing? It's me!" he screams as I punch him around the face.

"Stop trying to fool me with your tricks, Mumm-ra! It won't work!" I snarl before clamping my hands around his throat. "Lion-O...I don't want to do this, but you're not giving me much choice!" he says, then pain explodes through my body as he punches me in the stomach. I let go of him, so he gets his knees onto my chest then kicks me off of him, then launches on top of me.

"Lion-O! Lion-O, what are you doing? What's going on?"

I hear Cheetara shouting me, then she and the others appear as me and the other lion start rolling around on the grass.

"Lion-O! Stop it! Why don't you remember me? It's me, Leo!" the lion says through a mouthful of blood. What he says doesn't register with me until I'm about to skewer him through the chest with the sword.

"L...Leo?" I ask as I sit up. The lion claiming to be my older twin brother nods then says "Would I lie to you, little brother?"

He pulls his shirt off, and I see the dark brown birthmark between his shoulder blades, as well as the various wounds. He scowls slightly as he wipes the blood from the deepest ones. "I still don't believe you! Tell me something that only Leo would know!" I snarl, so he says "Lion-O, you're my little brother, born one hour after me on the evening of the 13th of November to Queen Leandra and King Claudus of Thundera. When we were cubs, we had a secret hideout hidden in the walls of the lair, the entrance of which was hidden behind the wardrobe in our bedroom."

I sit up hastily. It's him! It's REALLY him! Leo, my older twin brother whom I thought I'd lost when we were evacuated from Thundera.

"But, how did you survive the destruction of Old Thundera? I thought you'd surely burned!" I say as he helps me up. Leo smiles at me as he says "Me and our stepmother were captured at the last moment by a group of slave traders looking to capture pure blood Thunderian lions. Lion-O, when I came to Third Earth, we escaped but were recaptured and..." he sighs before continuing "Our stepmother was hung for escaping. I managed to escape once we got to a sale on Third Earth, and I was adopted by the chieftain of a group of Thunderians who call themselves the Ferrals. Then, we came back to New Thundera when we found out that the planet had re-formed."

I can't help but wrap my arms around my brother's chest in a warm hug. "Lion-O! Get off of me! You're getting your scent all over me!" he says uncomfortably as he struggles against me, but he awkwardly hugs me back.

"I thought you were dead...I thought you were...dead!" I say as tears trickle down my cheeks. Leo pushes me away as he says "Well, I thought that you were dead, too. But, no hugging, ok? We're not kids anymore!"

We look around, and see the other Thundercats standing before us, all looking confused. "Leo...By Jaga, the last time I saw you, you were just a cub!" Cheetara says as she puts a friendly hand on the lion's shoulder. He shrugs her off as he says "Uh...yeah...and I heard from Jaga that Lion-O grew up in suspended animation, which means he has the mind of a child still, I presume."

I growl as he brings up the subject. He may be my older brother, but the tone of his voice suggests a challenge. Who the bloody hell does he think he is, coming here and challenging me for what is rightfully mine? Sure enough, our father did choose me over him to be the Lord of the Thundercats, which has always made him jealous of me. I'm the king now.

Suddenly, a pair of Thunderians run from the trees and tackle me to the ground. One of them draws a spear and holds the tip against my throat whilst the other starts shouting at me in a language I don't recognise.

"Akkw'yjasch zgtch-zakkcht königsein, lyjon?"

I look at Leo as I say "Leo, what are they saying? What're they doing?"

"They obviously watched me and you fighting and because you're the one who pounced on me first, they're seeing you as a threat to me." he says, and then he grabs the spear and pulls it from the hands of the Thunderian as he snarls "Daazcht-izcht myjne brudther, Lyjon-Ø! Ne-faacht him-attackstch!"

The Thunderians release me and let me get up, but they continue staring at me, as if they wish me dead on the spot. "Anyway, these are two of my personal guards; Bjørn and Yngve Håkon." Leo says as he puts an arm around my shoulders "As I said, they're two of the Thunderians who decided to go down the ancestral route. They call themselves 'Ferrals', and..." but he gets interrupted when a pair of young lion cubs come running from the dense trees, shouting "Papa!"

We turn around, and Leo shakes his head at the pair before saying "Bräiden, Jøhba, vacht diiezt dieu-ce rester beim zuhause!"

The pair bow their heads and the older one says "Entschuldigung, papa."

Leo sighs before saying "Braiden is my eldest, and Johba is my youngest."

The youngest lion looks at me nervously before running to Leo and wrapping his arms around his legs. He can't be any older than three years old. He clamours to be picked up, so Leo picks him up. "Have you got cubs yet, Lion-O?" my brother asks as the other Thundercats crowd around us, and struggling to make conversation with the Ferrals. "No. Not got a mate, nor any cubs, and I don't plan to for a few years." I say, which earns me a few dirty looks from Leo.

"I've already got two cubs; me and my mate had Bräiden when we were 16. And, I must say, her father wanted my hide. Dare I ask it, but exactly how old are you?"

"Twenty one."

"Tw...Twenty one...mmm...well...you've still got loads of years left, but you need to be quick at choosing a mate."

I feel myself blushing as he says it. I look away from him as he smirks at me.

"But you've never had the balls to do it, have you? Because you're an absolute wuss!"

I stop and turn to look at him. "I don't even know what the bloody hell you're doing here in the first place, seeing as you're no longer a Thundercat, but what makes you think that you've got the right to talk to me like that?"

Leo roars then launches at me, digging his claws into my shoulders. "What the fucking hell did you just say to me?" he growls as he presses me against the ground. "I _said _that you're no longer a Thundercat! Do I need to wash your ears out for you? 'Cause I will do it if I have to!" I growl, seconds before he spits in my face. I roar, seething with rage, and head butt him in the face. Warm blood splashes in my mane and down my head as Leo's nose explodes in a fountain of the red liquid.

"RIGHT! THAT'S _IT_! I'M SICK OF THIS!" Leo shouts as he pins me down on the grass. Blood drips onto my face from his broken nose as he snarls "I'm sick to _DEATH_ hearing about how dad chose _YOU_ over me to be the King and Lord of the Thundercats when _it should have been ME_! You were the runt of the litter! You're the reason why mum died! If it hadn't have been for you, she'd still be here! Even though I was an hour old, and she'd died mere minutes after she gave birth to you, I sometimes wish that she'd survived and that you'd died instead of her!"

I feel the hot tears trickling down my cheeks. Damn, that hurt! I push Leo off of me then walk away.

"Oh, I see how it is! Walk away, just like you _ALWAYS _do! COWARD!"

I freeze on the spot. "Lion-O," I hear Cheetara hiss "Don't. You. Dare. Even. Consider. It!"

I take a sharp, deep breath in before saying "You don't know what I've been through, Leo."

"Lion-O, I might not be the cat I used to be, but I didn't mean that. I should have thought before I said it..." Leo says, but I snap "Just go. Go back to where you live."

With that, my brother turns around and walks off, his sons and the Ferrals following him.

**...**

"It sure does feel good to be home." I say as I step out of the Thundertank onto the tarmac in front of the Lair, which is standing majestically in the late evening sun. Cheetara sighs as she stands next to me. "I've really missed this place. Anyway, are you going to take what Leo said into consideration? You do need a mate and cubs." she says as she looks at me. I laugh slightly before saying "You're not suggesting yourself, are you?" The cheetah blushes as she quickly walks off.

When we open the door of the lair, I see many members of the ThunderGuard rushing around inside. When we walk in, they start to give us updates on everything that had happened whilst we were gone. Snarf hurries to the kitchen to get some food sorted whilst we all sit at the table in the Council Chamber.

"This has me worried, your highness." an ocelot says as he places a piece of parchment on the table in front of me.

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know, sire. It seems to be some kind of ancient language. I've never seen it before, my king."

I growl slightly as I recognise the language. "Hieroglyphics. That means Mumm-ra wrote this." I say as the ocelot shows me more. "He seems to have followed you, my lord." a young bobcat says as I get up out of my seat.

"This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I mean, sure enough, he is our deadliest enemy, but why put up such an effort to do something nearly impossible? This is making me nervous." I say as I pace back and forth.

"Forgive me if I speak out of terms, my king, but are you sure that you managed to get away without that bastard tagging you with some sort of tracking device?"

I turn to look at the bobcat as I say "I don't see how that's possible, boy. I'd have to...have been knocked unconscious...shit!" I snarl as I realize the truth "He must have tagged me whilst I was out. Maybe that's why he knows exactly where we are..."

I sink into my chair with my head in my hands. If it's true, then unless that tracking device is found and got rid of, then I'll be responsible for any attacks.

"Besides, you all need to have medical examinations to be completed, and you're due for a set of jabs, my king. Maybe it would be easy to get everything out of the way after dinner." a liger says as the door opens, and Snarf walks in, pushing a trolley with plates and bowls of food and drink.

"The sooner everything is back to normal, the sooner I'll be happy." I say as I start to eat the food.

**...**

I lie on my back with my arms behind my head. It was true. I'd been clipped with a microscopic tracking device, which had been injected into the nape of my neck. The material of the plaster crackles under my fingers as I yawn. I'm so tired, but I can't sleep...well, as a matter of fact, I don't want to. What if this is all just a dream? I'm scared of what is to come. My future is dark. What if I am actually going to slaughter the Thundercats? What I saw in that dream has had me worried, to the point of my thoughts making me crazy.

An owl hoots from overhead as a wolf howls in the distance. There's something about the sound that sends shivers down my spine. What the bloody hell is wrong with me? I've never been so nervous in my life. I growl in frustration and roll over before turning the light on. I haul my body off of the bed and pull my dressing gown on. I pad across the room to my desk, my bare feet feeling like ice as I walk across the stone floor.

I slump into the chair as I sigh. I look behind me and see the moon high in the sky behind me. I look down at the paperwork on my desk as I start sorting through the documents. I hear footsteps from outside in the corridor as someone stops before my door. "Lion-O," a soft voice says, that I recognise as Cheetara's "Are you still up?"

"Come in." I say, so the cheetah walks in.

"Can't sleep?" she asks as she walks towards me. "No, not even for a few minutes. It's a fucking piss-take! I'm absolutely knackered, but I can't settle. Too many thoughts on my mind." I say as I bury my face in my hands.

"You're not the only one. Something malicious is going on, and it's stressing me out. Anyway, I've got something that might help." Cheetara says as she places a mug on the desk in front of me "It's hot milk with cinnamon. Plus, have some of these and you'll be asleep sooner than you know it." She passes me a box of pills. "Well, goodnight then, Lion-O." she says as she walks out.

I look down at the mug before picking it up. I sniff the contents, and the scent of spices brings back memories of when I was younger. I sip the drink, before quickly drinking it down and swallowing two of the pills. Then, I continue sorting through the papers. Important documents, top secret files, UFO sightings. I read through the papers until my eyes start to blur...

I wake with a start. The side of my cheek is covered in sticky saliva, and I can tell that I've been dribbling in my sleep. I sit up, and then curse in Thunderian at how stiff my neck is. I pull the piece of paper off of my cheek before standing up. The scent of cooking bacon wafts in from downstairs, making my stomach rumble. I pull my uniform on before walking out of the door and down the corridor, down the stairs towards the dining room. The door opens to let me in, and everyone turns to look at me.

"Snarfer, Snarfer, Cheetara told us about how you couldn't sleep last night. Insomnia is a sign of severe stress. What's eating ya?" Snarfer asks as I sit down in my seat.

"I don't want to talk about it. It'd only make you panic." I say as I ravenously shovel porridge into my mouth "Any more news?"

"Nothing interesting." Lynx-O says as he takes a sip of his cup of tea "Unless you call fox hunting being re-legalized interesting." I sigh then say "I really do sometimes wish that we never came to Third Earth. I mean, think about it. We wouldn't have to deal with Mumm-ra's antics, nor the Lunataks' and mutants' endless ambushes."

I sit back then say "But, I'd say that we've pissed him off. We need to be careful of any future attacks."

Cheetara looks at me as she says "Don't forget that we have important duties to do today. We need to take some supplies to the outlying settlements of the city, and then we have Snarf Egbert's wedding anniversary party this evening."

"Yeah. Speaking of which, we'd better go and get ready." I say as I get out of my seat then walk out of the dining room.

As I approach the door to my sleeping chamber, I swear that I hear someone running towards me. I turn around, just as some invisible force hits me in the chest, knocking the breath out of my body. I hit the door with such force that the metal dents. The metallic tang of blood fills my mouth as I fall to the floor. I push myself up onto my knees as a massive black cat materializes before me.

"_Bring him to me!"_

I clearly hear Mumm-ra's voice as the cat grabs me around the throat with its fangs. Its fangs feel like daggers and my skin feels like ice where it's biting me. It starts to drag me towards the window, but someone's footsteps pound in the hallway. Cheetara rounds the corner with the others hot on her tail. "Cheetara! Help me!" I scream as the cat starts to climb out of the window. It grabs me by my shirt, then jumps. I involuntarily scream as the ground gets further away from me.

"_Stay still, Thundercat! Unless you want to be dropped to your death!"_

I look up at the cat, and watch in horror as it transforms into...Ma-mutt! I start struggling against the demonic hound as his grip tightens on me. There's a sharp pain as he sinks his viciously curved, knife-like claws into my back. I can hear familiar engines behind me. It's the Thunderclaw. I look behind me and see the craft hurtling towards us, with Panthro sitting at the controls. "Hang tough, Lion-O! I'm coming!" he shouts, making me shout "I kinda don't have any choice! I'd die if I let go!"

He stops below me and grabs my ankles. "I've got you! You can let go now, Lion-O!" he shouts as Ma-mutt growls irritably. I struggle to get loose from the dog's claws, but he's holding me too tightly. "I can't! He's got his claws in my back!" I shout, seconds before I scream in pain at the sensation of the hound's claws curling further into my flesh. That's when he suddenly releases me. I slip into the seat as Panthro pulls me down into the seat behind him. "Hold on!" the panther shouts as Ma-mutt starts pulling at me again. I feel the tears of pain streaming down my cheeks as the dog's claws tear gouges into the flesh of my back. "He's got me!" I shout as I feel my clothes getting tighter. I'm pulled clean out of the seat by Ma-mutt.

"Oh no, you don't!" I snarl, then I sink my fangs into Ma-mutt's paws. The hound screams then lets go of me. Panthro grabs me again then pulls me back onto the Thunderclaw. "Tygra, I've got him! He's injured slightly, but he's safe!" the panther says as he turns the craft around. "Rodger that, Panthro. I'll alert Pumyra, but before I do, how badly is Lion-O injured?" Tygra's voice says over the intercom.

"He's pretty cut up from Ma-mutt's attack; he's going to need stitches, but it's nothing too bad."

"Ok. Tygra out."

Panthro pushes the throttle down as I say "Is it really that bad?"

"As I said, you do need stitches, but it's not life threatening."

**...**

"This might hurt a little, so I'll say that I'm sorry in advance." Pumyra says as she pulls on a pair of gloves. I bury my face in the pillows to drown out my cries of pain as she starts to inspect the wounds. It stings so much. "Tygra, can you pass me the local anaesthetic? It's on the tray on the bedside table." she asks as she swabs the wounds with some cotton wool soaked in antiseptic. My muscles involuntarily tense at the stinging pain as I growl, but Pumyra says "Lion-O, you've got to stay still. I can't stitch the wounds up if you keep moving."

I lie still, just seconds before something sharp pierces my skin, and a cold liquid seeps through my veins, leaving a burning sensation in its wake, which slowly melts into numbness. I can't move my arms, leaving me lying practically immobile. "Just try to relax." Pumyra says as she picks up the surgical thread and needle. Then, the young puma gets working.

I can feel the thread tugging at my skin as Pumyra sutures my wounds, but that's all I can feel. "So, you're saying that Ma-mutt just attacked you then dragged you out of the window before carrying you off? No wonder your wounds are so deep. Anyway, you've got six more wounds that need to be sutured. With the way that Mumm-ra's accursed dog attacked you, you're lucky that the muscles in your back weren't completely shredded, or the ligaments and tendons torn." Pumyra says as she cuts the thread.

She works for the next half hour, and by the time she'd finished, the anaesthetic already had started to wear off. A sharp nagging pain spreads all over my back as the sting of the wounds starts to come back. "Ok, so, you unfortunately need anti-rabies and anti-tetanus shots. You never know what that horrid dog had." she says as she picks up two ready loaded hypodermic needles. She pops the tops of, then pushes the needles into my arm.

Pumyra pulls me up off of the bed, seeing as I can't move my arms, then starts to wrap my chest with a bandage. "I know that the thing you want least is to look like Mumm-ra, but it'll keep your stitches clean. Either way, you're ready to go." she says as we walk out of the infirmary. "You might be in some pain a bit later on, but it shouldn't be too bad." she says as we enter the council chamber.

"Snarf has prepared the supplies, so we need to get going." I hear Cheetara say as she looks at me "We just need to get everything loaded onto the Feliner."

"In that case, we need to start getting ready." I say, then we exit the room.

**...**

"You got it, Lion-O?"

I grab the crate as I say "Yeah. I've got it, Panthro. You can let go now."

I consult the checklist as I say "Right. That's the thirtieth crate of food. Snarf, have you secured them all?"

"Snarf, Snarf. Yes, Lion-O! For the fifth time, I bloody well have!"

I cross the items off of the checklist before calling "Pumyra, Cheetara, have you got the medical supplies, water and blankets?"

"Ready and waiting!"

I take a few of the crates then carry them into the cargo compartment of the Feliner. "This is the last box, Lion-O," Lynx-O says as he passes me a box of bottled water.

"Why exactly do we need to take these to the outlying settlements?" I ask as I shiver in the cold winter air.

"This blasted winter has knocked out their power source, meaning that the poor souls cannot keep warm, or have very little food and drinking water."

"Ok," I say as I take the other boxes from the old lynx "Everyone get ready for takeoff."

We climb into the cockpit and take our seats.

"Takeoff in 5...4...3...2...1...ignition!" I say, then I push the throttle down; the Feliner rapidly gains speed and is airborne within 20 seconds. The seemingly endless expanse of the city flies by beneath us, coated in a thick blanket of snow. It must have snowed a lot during the night.

"I can't see the runway under all of this snow. We risk skidding off the runway if we land properly. We'll have to go for a vertical landing on one of the fields." I say as I look down at the ground. Panthro programs the landing gear for the landing, then we touch down on the ground.

"Right, so. Everyone get your cat suits on. You don't want to catch your death from the cold." I say as we all enter the compartment.

"Reow! It's so cold in here! I think my whiskers have frozen!" Snarf wails sadly as he pulls his cat suit on. "Stop whinging Snarf! You'll be fine." I say as I slip the thick woolly jumper over my head before pulling on the thermal trousers. The red and yellow cat mumbles beneath his breath as he gets himself ready. I pull on my boots and gloves then walk out of the Feliner to the cargo compartment where Bengali, Pumyra, Cheetara and Tygra are unloading the boxes. "Ok, so, are we rationing it, or something?" I ask as we start unpacking the provisions. A young snow leopard cub comes running up to us with a list and piece of paper in his fist, dragging a sled behind him. "Lord Lion-O?" he says as he stops before me. I kneel on the ground as I say "What can I do for you, little one?"

He passes me the pieces of paper, and I see the long list of provisions, as well as the stamped card. "Please, we need extra medicine. My little sister is really sick!" he says as I pick out the appropriate amounts of the provisions then put them securely on the back of the sled. I turn to Pumyra as I say "Pumyra, you need to go with him. He says his sister is really ill."

The puma grabs her medical kit then follows the young cub, who is struggling to pull the sled. Before too long, most of the stuff is gone. I bend over to pick up the empty crates, but someone pulls down my hood, then something cold is tipped down the back of my jumper, then shoved in my face. I shout from the shock of the sudden icy pain, then realize that Cheetara had put snow down my back. I turn around as I take a massive handful of snow, but multiple snowballs are pelted in my face. "Right, I hope that you've all had fun, but we'd better get everything packed away." I say as i wipe the snow from my face.

Within the next hour, the spare supplies are handed over to the ThunderGuard members, and we have all of the crates back on the Feliner. "Right, so," I say as I sit back in my seat "We just need to get ready for tonight's festivities."

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**It's Snarf Egbert's wedding anniversary party, and everything goes without a hitch until the Mutants make an uninvited appearance. The Thundercats fight to save their friends from being attacked, but the Mutants seem to have learnt from their endless failures...finally. After a talk with Tygra, Lion-O decides to propose to Cheetara. When Mumm-ra learns of the pair getting engaged, he decides to have another attempt at ending the young lion's life. Will Lion-O get away alive, or will Mumm-ra succeed?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	7. Chapter 6: Can You Feel The Love Tonight

_**A/N: I can't believe that I got this chapter complete in one day. Hard work, I guess... I'm glad that everyone is enjoying the story, and I solemnly swear, there is still loads to come! This is the chapter where the LiChee comes into play. **_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage = ...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Graphic scenes of violence, slight adult themes and explicit language**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Monday 4**__**th**__** May 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Monday 4**__**th**__** May 2015**_

_**Song/s: Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John (End credits of The Lion King!)**_

Chapter 6: Can You Feel The Love Tonight

"Cheetara, what are you going to wear to Snarf Egbert's wedding anniversary party?" I ask from behind the closed door. The cheetah mumbles to herself before opening the door. "I don't know. I don't really own many dresses." She says as we walk into her room then up to her wardrobe. I look through the dresses, and she tells me why she rarely wears them:

"Too big."

"Too loose."

"Topaz isn't my colour."

"Too light."

"FAR too informal!"

"I don't like beige clothes. It's the colour of my fur. It blends in, making me look as if I'm not wearing anything."

"As a rule, I don't wear primrose, violet, emerald green or amethyst."

A red dress catches my attention. I take it off of the hanger as I say "What about this? I'd say that ruby red is your colour."

"That was my mother's. She gave it to me when I was a cub...before she passed away. I hope it still fits." she says as she takes the silk dress from my arms. I walk out of the room to let her get changed in private, then back into my sleeping chamber, where an obsidian-black suit is lain out on my bed. I've never worn anything so formal in my life.

I slip off my traditional uniform then pull on the trousers and the snowy-white shirt. I look at myself in the mirror as I slip the jacket on. Is that really my reflection? I can barely recognize myself. Then, I notice the green tie still lying on my bed.

Oh, well. Might as well complete the look. I tie it around my neck under the collar of the shirt, then sit on my bed and slip the shoes on.

I open the door then walk back to Cheetara's room. I knock on her door and say "Cheetara, you ready yet?"

"Come in and find out!"

I open the door and stop dead in my tracks. I'm simply overcome by her beauty. She's gone to the effort of curling her long, golden mane. A pair of sapphire earrings hang from her earlobes. "Oh, Cheetara! You look beautiful." I say softly, unable to take my eyes off of her.

"Really? I haven't overdone myself?" she asks softly.

"No. You look stunning. Truly stunning." I say as I walk up to her. A sweet scent catches my nose, and I realize that Cheetara is wearing perfume.

"But, the finishing touch." I say as I walk over to her dressing table and pick up a golden, sapphire and jade necklace then walk up to her. I slip it around her neck then do the clasp up.

"Anyway, where did you go earlier? After we delivered the supplies to the Thunderians, you disappeared for a few hours."

I laugh then say "That's for me to know and for you to find out!"

What I'm not telling her is that I went to buy an engagement ring. It'd taken me hours because there was such a wide variety. I'd eventually settled on a 19 carat gold ring studded with a diamond. All I want is for her to be my wife. Best thing to do would be to do it in a quiet area at the party.

I slip my arms over her shoulders and close my eyes, dreamily breathing in the scent of her mane and perfume. I start purring, even though I don't mean to. She "Lion-O! Lion-O! Reow! Where are you?" I groan as I hear Snarf calling me. "What do you want, Snarf?" I reply. "It's time to leave for the Valley of the Snarfs. Are you and Cheetara ready?" Cheetara affectionately rubs her hand against my cheek then says, her voice as sweet as honey "We're ready, Snarf! Well, we'd better go then Lion-O." She loosens her grip on my hand and walks out, her red heels flashing beneath the hem of her dress. I hurry after her and we walk down the stairs together.

As we sit in the Thundertank, Cheetara sits next to me, but she says nothing for the whole journey. By the time we get to the Valley of the Snarfs, the sun is low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the grass and rivers. There are many candles in jars hung up on strings everywhere, and dance music is blasting throughout the village. Snarf and Snarfer lead the way to the house where the party is being held. As soon as I walk through the doors, the blaring music combined with the neon lights makes me feel a little dizzy. I know that we lions are deemed as being sociable, but I don't like crowds.

I look around then spot Wilykit and Wilykat, who are sneaking towards one of the tables. Before they can go any further, I gently grab the collars of their shirts and say "Don't you even think about drinking even a drop of anything alcoholic. I know that it was my fault because I let you have some of that wine whilst Cheetara wasn't watching, but you're still underage. And make sure you behave yourselves, or you'll be in serious trouble and will find yourselves grounded." They squirm uncomfortably and Wilykit says "Leave off, Lion-O! We'll behave ourselves! And we'll stay away from the alcohol, unlike last time. We promise!" She nudges Wilykat and he says "Yeah. We will." I say "Good," they continue squirming so I hiss into their ears "Now remember, behave yourselves. Don't go shoving Snarf's face in his slice of cake like you did last year, or hiding in the pantry then jumping out at me. You nearly gave me a heart attack last time. And be polite to the other guests!" They groan and cry "WE KNOW! Can we go now?" I let go of their shirts and they go running off.

I walk straight past the crowd of people, and into the large garden. I look up at the sky and watch the stars. I can see all of the different constellations; Taurus, Leo, Libra, Scorpio, Cancer, Aries, Gemini, Virgo, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Sagittarius. I'm a Scorpio. A shooting star rushes by overhead, catching my attention. Then, I turn around and see Cheetara. She looks so beautiful in the fiery light of the setting sun. We stand together by a pond. Golden fish swim around, nibbling at pondweed and jumping in and out of the water.

She sighs in a relaxed manner as I look at her. "Hey," I say "Are you thirsty? Do you want anything to eat or to drink? I will be getting the food first, though."

She purrs gently and says "Red wine will be fine for me. I'm not really that hungry." I turn and walk across the garden and into the house. I edge past people towards the drinks table.

I frown as I spot Wilykit and Wilykat who are secretly pouring what looks like white wine into their Styrofoam cups. I sneak up behind them and say "Don't you even think about it!"

They both jump and cry "We weren't doing anything, Lion-O!"

I scowl fiercely at them then say "I saw you! Don't lie to me!"

Wilykit glares daggers at me as I firmly lead them away and says "Jeez, Lion-O. You seem to forget that we were once the same age, but then you turned into an adult and you weren't any fun anymore."

I just ignore their comments and put them in chairs, next to Bengali and Pumyra. "You might want to watch over these two. I just caught them over by the alcohol." I say, then I turn and walk back to the table.

I carefully some pour red wine into two plastic glasses and walk towards the back door. I see Cheetara talking to a white lioness. I walk towards them. "Lion-O! Reow! Wait for me!" I look down and see Snarf Egbert running after me. "Having a nice time so far, Lion-O?" he asks as we walk towards the gazebo. I reply "I am. What makes it better is that neither Mumm-ra, the Mutants nor the Lunataks have shown up to spoil the fun."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I laugh softly as I talk to the lioness. Her name is Lucy. She can't be older than 22. "And what was even funnier was that Lion-O has no memory of what happened to him that day! He can't remember that he was transformed to a child!" I say. "Speaking of that, where is the Lord of the Thundercats?" Lucy asks. I sigh and reply "He went to get some drinks, but he's been a while. He might have forgotten, or he's being held up by some people who wanted to talk to him. I'd better go and see what he's up to." I get up and Lucy says "Cheetara, do you have feelings for him?" Still walking along and not looking where I'm going, I turn my head to face her and say "What?"

Suddenly, I feel a cold liquid splash all down my front. "What the..." I cry as I look up, right at Lion-O, who is carrying two plastic glasses of red wine. His cheeks are flushing red with embarrassment. "Cheetara...oh my god! I'm so, so sorry!" he says as he hastily passes me a wad of paper napkins. I wipe the front of my dress with the napkins and say "It's ok, Lion-O. I wasn't looking where I was going." He nervously replies "I wasn't either." I hear Lucy cough and I turn round to face her. "I'll leave you two to mingle, then." she says, then she grabs her cocktail and hurries off. 

"Cheetara," Lion-O says as I take the offered glass of red wine, which is still full "Can you follow me, a sec?" I follow him down a path that is surrounded by wild flowers and lit by ornate lamps. "Come on, just a little further!" he says as we come to the end of the garden. We aren't far from the house because I can still hear music, but it's faint. I see a bridge across a flowing lake. Lion-O stops halfway across it then says "Right, now that we're away from everyone, I can finally ask you what I want to." His eyes sparkle in the light of the full moon. He reaches behind him as he says "Cheetara..." He doesn't get a chance to say anything else because Snarf comes running over the bridge and stops in front of us. "Lion-O. Cheetara. You two can't just stand here and do nothing! C'mon! Everyone is waiting for you to dance together!" he says, then he takes us by the hands and pulls us back to the house.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Snarf, you know fully that I don't dance." I say as I look at Cheetara. "If we look stupid, we'll look stupid together!" she says. Snarf takes us in through the double doors then onto the dance floor. A crazy song starts playing and I start to back away. I feel a heavy hand settle on my shoulder and turn around to see Panthro. He laughs then says "We've all had our turn! It's your turn now!" I gulp, then walk out into the dance floor. I can't dance. I've always been awful at it. I take Cheetara's hand, then the music really starts up.

By the end of it, I'm completely exhausted. I walk out into the garden to cool off. Cheetara follows me. We go into the gazebo again, with another glass of red wine each. Cheetara slowly edges her way towards me, then she slants her lips against mine in a passionate embrace that takes my breath away. I utter a guttural growl as I kiss her back. "You know Lio," she says as she fingers my green tie "Green goes really well with your red mane! You should wear green more often!" I go to kiss her again, but I can hear engines, and what makes me worried is that they're the engines of a mutant Skycutter and Vultureman's flying machine.

"Shit!" I swear, then I run out into the open garden. Almost instantly, I'm shot at by Monkian. I jump out of the way with just seconds to spare as the ground where I once stood is engulfed in flames. "Cheetara! Run!" I shout as she races to cover. "I'm trying! I'm in high-heels! It's not easy!" she shouts over the screams of the other guests. I hear Monkian gibber excitedly then say "I have located Lion-O! I'm going in for another attack!" I stand still and close my eyes as I see the Skycutter flying towards me. I take a deep breath in then out, and open my eyes. I rip the Sword of Omens from the claw shield then leap at the craft as it speeds towards me. I kick Monkian straight in the face with the heels of my shoes. He screams as his nose erupts in a spray of blood.

I pierce the fuel tank with the sword at such an angle that it begins to spray into Monkian's face. Then, I drag the sword down the body, splitting the craft in half. I land perfectly on my hands and feet, but Monkian lands ungracefully on his front, dazed but still alive. "Everyone! Run!" I shout "Get out of the house as quickly as you can!"

We lead the guests away, but most have run into the thick jungle. Cheetara doesn't leave my side as we run for the thick trees at the edge of the garden. I leap the fence and help her over, then we continue running. "Cheetara," I say "Find the guests and get them out! I'll fight off the mutants!"

I run around the outside of the jungle and see Jackalman at the controls of the other Skycutter, and Slithe at the controls of the Nosediver.

"Slithe! Jackalman! Over here!" I shout as loud as I can whilst standing still so that they'd see me. They do, then they begin to rush towards me. I know that I need to lead them away from the others, so I begin to head into the thick undergrowth. I hear engines getting closer, and I drop to the ground with seconds to spare as Vultureman's flying machine swoops down, the talons on the landing gear narrowly missing my head by inches. I get up again and run further as Vultureman comes round for another attack. I duck again, but not soon enough. He grabs me by my mane and back of my shirt, then lifts me clean off of the ground and into the air as the plane climbs. "I've got him!" I hear Vultureman caw excitedly.

"Don't count on it!" I snarl, then I sink my fangs into his wrist, shaking his arm in a rapid frenzy. He screams and lets go of me; I start to fall. I hit the landing gear and try to hold on, but I can't. Time seems to stand still as the wind whips through my mane. I'm gonna die. I'm going to hit the floor and the shock of the impact is going to kill me. But, I suddenly stop. I look up and see Jackalman. "Say goodbye to life, Lion-O!" he cackles as he picks up his axe. He raises it above his head, which leaves the controls open. I quickly reach for them, and push them forwards. We both scream as the Skycutter viciously judders, does a barrel roll, then sharply dives towards the ground. "Lion-O! What the fuck have you done to the controls? They're jammed!" Jackalman shouts as he struggles with the control stick. I fight to keep a hold on the Skycutter, but my claws can't grip the metal. I slip straight off of the wing, and drop like a rock. The wind blows my mane into my face as I fall. I can see the thick growth of trees rushing up to meet me. If I don't get this right, I'll die. I grab a vine, and use it to land on the ground.

"Jackalman! Vultureman! Kill him! Somebody kill him!" I hear Slithe shout. I run for an opening in the thick plants. I can hear the Nosediver rapidly approaching. I grab a vine and begin to climb it, but I start to feel hot. I look down and see that Slithe is setting fire to everything below me. Ha! He's never learned. Cats are smarter than snakes. I push against the trunk of a tree as hard as I can and I swing over the fire. Howether, I suddenly slip and find myself flying through the air. I look down and see that the fire is rapidly spreading. "There's no escape for you that way, Lion-O!" Slithe shouts. I can see what he means. A large tree is in my way. I dig my claws into the bark and begin to climb it. Vultureman begins to hack at the thick branches with the talons of his flying machine. If he gets me with the talons, I'm dead! 

"We've got you now, Lion-O!" Vultureman caws excitedly. I sigh, then do one of the most dangerous things I've ever done. I let go of the trunk and push away, flying backwards into open air. I hear laser bolts passing by me, but they miss. Suddenly, I hear a familiar engine. The Thundertank! Then, I realize that I'm still in midair, and falling rapidly. I scream as the jungle canopy gets closer, but I see Wilykit and Wilykat flying towards me on their Spaceboards. Wilykat jumps behind Wilykit and I land on his without slipping. "We figured that you'd need help, so here we all are!" he says as I accelerate the speed towards the ground. I land, but it's what I'd call a crash landing compared to all the other times that I've rode these. Cheetara runs towards me with her heels in her hand. "We saw you falling so we decided that you needed help," she says "The guests are all rounded up and out front. It was us that the mutants were after..." she doesn't get a chance to finish because the ground behind us explodes. In blind panic, I run forwards. I look back over my shoulder at Cheetara as she runs after me. As I turn round to look at where I'm going, pain explodes throughout my body and everything goes black...

I open my eyes. My head is as sore as my vision is blurry. "What happened?" I say in a small voice. I hear Pumyra say "Slithe hit you around the head with a large, heavy wooden club. Don't try to move though. You have a concussion and you inhaled a fair amount of smoke. Plus, you've got a massive gash on your forehead."

My vision clears and I see that I'm lying in my bed. The curtains are drawn, flooding the room with bright light. Pumyra is gently pressing a bag of crushed ice against my head. Everything hurts really badly. I try to sit up, but Pumyra gently pushes me back down. "You have to stay in bed, Lion-O. I know you might not want to, but there's a chance that you could pass out if you get up." she says. "How long have I been unconscious?" I ask nervously. "You've slept like a cub all night." she replies. I sigh and swing my legs out of bed. "Lion-O! You can't get up!" Pumyra says as she begins to walk round the bed. "Try and stop me!" I snarl. I stand up, then I instantly feel light headed. My vision blurs again, then everything goes black again.

I wake up, and I feel so confused. I'm not in my room anymore; I'm in the infirmary. I lift my head and take in my surroundings. The clock on the wall says 9:30pm, Saturday 30th November. I've been unconscious for another day? I see Pumyra talking to Cheetara. "I had to dose him with a strong sedative because he was going mental. He just turned aggressive on me without a second's warning. He collapsed and I rushed to get him back into bed, but he seemed to wake up, then he attacked me once I touched him." I hear her say. I try to move my arms, but I can't. I look down and see the restraints around my wrists and ankles. They both turn to look at me and I see the claw marks and bites that cover Pumyra's arms and legs, with a bruise on her right shin. Did I really do that to her? I can't remember attacking her.

The fur along my shoulders and back stands on end as Cheetara starts to walk towards me. I snarl and utter a guttural growl in warning. Pumyra puts a hand on Cheetara's shoulder and says "Don't get any closer to him...whilst he's like that."

"He should calm down in a minute. He's just a little dazed." Pumyra says as I growl harder. Cheetara looks rather worried. She must have panicked when I got knocked unconscious. She slowly walks towards me. I stop growling and just watch her. There's no way that I'd ever lay a single claw on her. She reaches for the restraints and unties them. I don't move whatsoever. "I think that the minute was actually 30 seconds." she says, then she walks away from me.

I'm dismissed from the infirmary later on. As I walk along the corridor to the council chamber, I think about the party, the kiss. Had it actually meant something, or was Cheetara just being kind? The door opens and I walk in then sit in my seat. "So, you're finally back with us, then?" Bengali says. I rub my right arm and reply "After three days, or so what I've heard." He laughs then Tygra and Panthro look at each other. "Is there something wrong?" I ask nervously. "No. It's just the fact that you attacked Pumyra." Tygra says as Pumyra and Cheetara enter the room. "I've got absolutely no memory of it. I just collapsed, everything went black then I woke up in the infirmary. That's all I can remember." I say, rather confused and concerned about the incident. "But it doesn't matter," Pumyra says as she sits down "If Lion-O is back with us and is fully recovered, then that's all I'm thinking about at the moment."

Then, I remember why I came into the council chamber in the first place.

"Tygra, can I talk to you," I say "ALONE?"

He nods, and Cheetara, Pumyra, Bengali, Panthro, Snarf, Snarfer, Wilykit and Wilykat walk out of the door, leaving us to talk in private.

"What I want to say is that when we escaped from Castle Plun-darr, I actually realized that I love Cheetara. Not the childish crush or puppy love, but I actually have a strong feeling of attachment to her and I realized that she loves me back, so I chose to give something a go at the party," I say as I pull a little box out of my pocket and open it, revealing a beautiful diamond ring "But I don't quite know what to say to her. I'm scared that she'd hate me. I need your help. I can't do this on my own." Tygra looks at the ring and says "You were going to propose to her? Lion-O, you should have! She absolutely adores everything about you." Excited, I say "She does?" Tygra nods and replies "She couldn't stop talking about you when you were unconscious. She was so worried. Most of the time, she was in tears."

Tygra closes the box then hands it back to me as he says "You've both got so close after we escaped from Castle Plun-darr. She's been looking at you in such a way that can only be described as love. You should 'pop the question' tonight over a romantic dinner or something. She'll be delighted." I sigh as I take the box then ask "But what do I do? I'm not romantic. I never had a girlfriend. I know absolutely nothing about romance!" Tygra simply says "Give her flowers; she loves roses and orchids. Cook dinner for you and her, or we'll all go out to the fanciest restaurant in the city. However, if you want everything to be calm and smooth, I could get the cooks to prepare a delicious three course meal for you both." I smile and say "Just make everything like a normal day so that she doesn't suspect anything." Tygra nods and we walk out of the council chamber.

When we go into the dining room, I sit down in my chair along with the other Thundercats and I watch as Cheetara walks through the door then sits in her seat. She looks so beautiful. That golden mane. The black spots that randomly spread across her slender back and mane. Snarf carries bowls of delicious smelling food in and puts them on the table in front of us all; homemade soup and bread rolls. I'd usually stuff my face when it came to soup; table manners weren't something that I'd bother about as a cub, even though my father would rap me across the knuckles for it. It's wild pheasant and carrot, my favourite soup. I politely sip my soup off the spoon until the bowl is empty, then Snarf takes the bowls away. I stretch and lazily roar, my sharp fangs showing. Snarf carries in two plates of steaming treacle sponge pudding which he places down in front of everyone. I eat until I begin to feel sick. When Snarf offers me my fifth slice, I turn it down, feeling increasingly queasy.

I retreat to my room to freshen up. My stomach feels tight because of the sheer nervousness that I'm feeling. My fur stands on end down my arms and legs. I run my fingers through my thick mane. I think I look suitable. I walk out of the door and spot a vase of roses on a table. I casually walk past them, and towards the steps that lead to the mouth of the lair's head. I saw Cheetara walk up there earlier. I sigh nervously. I'm really about to do this.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I stand alone in the mouth of the lair's head as I twirl a lock of my mane around my finger. I dreamily stare out at the bright lights of the city. The moon overhead gives all of the buildings a silvery glow and the swirling snow makes the scene picturesque.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" I hear Lion-O say from behind me, making me jump slightly.

Laughing, I turn to face my young lord and say "Didn't I ever tell you not to sneak up on me, Lion-O? But, yes, it is a beautiful night tonight."

The young lion walks up to me and slips his arms around my shoulders. I look into his eyes and sigh. There's something about him that makes me want him to be mine. "Did anyone ever tell you how handsome you are in the moonlight?" I ask him softly. He smiles back at me with a look in his eyes that makes me want to melt. He's so hot.

"You're beautiful, Cheetara. Did anyone tell YOU that?" he whispers as he nuzzles my mane with his chin. I rest my cheek on his chest. That's when I heard a deep rumbling noise. Lion-O is purring!

"I love you Cheetara. Did you know that?" Lion-O whispers.

I laugh and say "I'd be a fool if I didn't know that," I look back at the stars "And you'd be a fool if you didn't know that I love you too." Lion-O laughs, his deep voice simply enchanting.

"In that case then," he says softly "I'm a complete idiot then. I hadn't the slightest idea." I look up as a bright streak in the sky catches my attention. "Hey, look! A shooting star! Quick Cheetara, make a wish!" I laugh at Lion-O but I still make a wish. I close my eyes. "I wish," I think to myself "That Lion-O will sometime show me exactly how much he loves me." I open my eyes.

"Cheetara,"

I turn around as Lion-O says my name and gasp at what I see; Lion-O gets down onto one knee then pulls a small velvety box from in the Claw Shield. He opens it, and I see a beautiful diamond ring.

"You have always been there for me throughout these past years. Ever since we woke up on Third Earth, I have realized how much I love you. When we kissed at that party, I could sense that you love me back. I have considered this for many weeks now, and I've meant to ask you this for ages, but I never could figure out how to word it, but I'm going to try it now. So, here it is. Cheetara, will you marry me?" he asks nervously.

Tears spill down my cheeks as I nod and say "Yes, I'd love to marry you Lion-O! More than anything in the world!" He slips the ring onto my finger and I throw myself into his arms. "We'll have to organise a wedding ceremony and everything! Oh, Cheetara! I was wishing with all my heart that you'd say yes!" he cries. We just stand there looking at each other for what seems like hours, then Lion-O eventually looks into my eyes and kisses me. The taste of his warm flesh is sweet, and the scent of his fur is soothing. "I love you. I love you, more than anything else in the world!" he growls passionately. I growl as I press myself into his warm, furry chest. After what seems like forever, I break away from him and run my fingers through his thick blood red mane.

Lion-O grins at me then says "We'd better go and tell everyone about it then, my love."

I smile at him then passionately kiss him again. "I agree."

Hand in hand, we walk down the stairs towards the council chamber. When we walk into the council chamber, everyone looks up at us. "We've got some _big _news." Lion-O says as he squeezes my hand.

"Snarf, Snarf! Reow, Mumm-ra's not on his way for another attack is he?" Snarf purrs anxiously as he sits up on his tail. Lion-O laughs then says "Far from it."

I kiss Lion-O on the cheek before saying "Lion-O proposed to me. We're engaged."

The reactions of my fellow Thundercats aren't surprising. Everyone crowds around us and congratulates us.

"Reow, I can't believe it!" Snarf says as he wipes the tears from his eyes "My boy's finally grown up!" He jumps up onto my shoulder as he continues "The wedding can be this Friday! I could cook a banquet for all of the guests!"

We celebrate by having wine. I look behind me as I sit in my seat; Tygra and Lion-O are speaking in a corner. I hear Tygra say "Well, turns out that you did have enough courage to propose then."

Lion-O simply replies "Yeah, but it wasn't easily done. I was so nervous, but it's finally done, and we're getting married."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"_Mumm-ra! MUMM-RA! Wake up, you decrepit mummy!"_

I open my eyes as something pounds on the lid of my sarcophagus. The lid slowly moves aside as I growl "Why did you disturb my rest?"

"_LOOK IN TO THE CAULDRON, MUMM-RA! THEN YOU WILL SEE THE REASON!"_

I walk up to the cauldron, and a scene starts playing in the waters...

"BY ALL THE ANCIENTS! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" I roar as I watch Lion-O kneel before Cheetara with a small box in his hands, which he opens, revealing a diamond ring. "Ancient spirits of evil, be gone with this foul image!" I snarl as I watch the pair embracing and kissing.

"_The wretched Thundercat Lion-O is getting married to Cheetara! You MUST put a stop to it! You must prevent the wedding before it happens this Friday! You MUST kill Lion-O!"_

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**The Cat's Lair is a hive of activity as the Thundercats prepare themselves for Lion-O and Cheetara's wedding. When the Mutants receive orders from Mumm-ra to abduct the young lord of the Thundercats, Lion-O falls into the hands of the ancient devil priest. Howether, he manages to escape, kindling a fresh feud between good and evil. Will the wedding go without a hitch, or will Lion-O and his loyal friends finally succumb to evil?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	8. Chapter 7: Tangled Up In You

_**A/N: Attention to all LiChee shippers:**_

_**You're going to LOVE this chapter! **_

_**The song for this chapter also doubles as their pairing song. The lyrics fit perfectly, so I said "Y'know what? I'm gonna use it"**_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage = ...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Graphic scenes of violence, gore, slight adult themes (mention of rape), and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Tuesday 5**__**th**__** May 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): N/A YET**_

_**Song/s: Tangled Up In You by Staind**_

Chapter 7: Tangled Up In You

I groan as I stumble blindly through the mud, my arms wrapped protectively around my abdomen. The gash on my leg profusely pumps out blood, and my broken elbow is agonizingly painful. The rain is blinding, and the chill of the wind hits me like a frozen dagger.

"Marcia! Marcia! Get back here this instant, you ignorant bitch!"

I stop to catch my breath. I should have learned from the first time to not go back to Thy'larr when he abused me the first time.

"Marcia! God damnit, are you even listening to me?"

The tears flow freely down my cheeks as I start running again. I need to get to the city. I need to see the king. The sting of the wound on my head is making me dizzy. I can hear the sound of a vehicle approaching at a high speed from behind me, so, upon instinct, I dive for the bushes. I can hear it getting closer, as well as familiar voices.

"We'd better get back to Cat's Lair. I don't like the looks of this storm, Panthro."

"No, nor do I. Plus, we need to tell Lion-O what we...well...didn't find."

The Thundercats! I get up and run into the road...right in front of the Thundertank. I throw my arms out in front of me and close my eyes as I wait for the impact, but it doesn't come. "Are you alright? Are you lost, or some...Great Jaga!" I hear Panthro cry as I fall to my knees from the pain. Tygra runs towards me and gently picks me up. "Panthro, we need to take a slight detour. We need to take her to the medical centre!" he says as he carries me into the Thundertank.

The warmth is soothing, but I feel so tired. "Tell me, what is your name?" Tygra asks as the tank starts moving again. "Marcia." I whisper as I close my eyes, then darkness envelops me...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Thundertank to Cat's Lair. Lion-O, do you hear me?"

I pick up the communicator then say "Reading you loud and clear, Tygra. Where the bloody hell are you? You and Panthro were supposed to be back two and a half hours ago! We're absolutely starving because Snarf isn't letting us eat anything until you guys get back!"

"I'll explain later. But right now, you need to get down here to the medical centre! There's a new trauma victim, and the doctors are requesting to speak with you and the others."

"Ok. Tell them that we'll be there ASAP." I say before putting the communicator down "Cheetara, go and tell the others that we need to get going. I'll warm up the Thunderstrike."

The cheetah nods then says "Right on it, Lion-O!" She runs from the room as I heave my heavy body out of my seat. Just what I need at a time like this. I barely had any sleep last night because I was too busy thinking about everything. What if I jumped into everything too quickly? I mean, I just proposed to Cheetara without dating her first. She's been my best friend since we crashed on Third Earth, and just the thought that she's going to be my wife and queen on Friday makes me slightly nervous. What if this situation is a message from the gods that I moved in too fast?

I sigh before walking to the door. As I walk towards the hangar where the Thunderstrike is, I let my mind wander. Thunder rumbles from overhead, making me flinch slightly. What's wrong with me? It's not like me to be so uneasy. Earlier on today, Cheetara told me to go and see Pumyra, but I know that I'd sound stupid. Yet, I have been suffering from shitloads of stress recently. I wonder if maybe that's what's making me uneasy.

When I reach the hangar where the Thunderstrike is, everybody are already on the craft. I climb into the cockpit along with Cheetara, the Snarfs and Lynx-O then sit down in my seat as the launch sequence is initiated. "So, from what I have heard, there's a young Thunderian female who is injured." Lynx-O says, much to my surprise. I stand up before saying "How do you know that, Lynx-O? We don't even know if it's an injured Thunderian." as the Thunderstrike speeds over the buildings below. It earns me a few laughs from the old lynx and my wife-to-be. "You seem to have forgotten, Lion-O. The medical centre is equipped with a Braille communication system, meaning that we have the advantage of forewarning." Lynx-O says, and I feel myself blushing beneath my fur.

"Either way, we're nearly there. Get yourselves ready for landing." Lynx-O says, so I sit back down again as the craft slowly descends through the rain. When we land, I make a break for shelter. I hate the rain. Lightning flashes across the sky overhead, illuminating the tree line. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see a massive black cat with glowing red eyes. I whirl around, but it's gone. What the actual fuck?

"Lion-O, what's wrong?" Cheetara asks as she puts a hand on my shoulder. "I tho...I thought I saw...I thought I saw something, but it was just my imagination." I say as I look at her.

"Anyway, can we get inside, now? It's fucking freezing!" Wilykit says, which makes me slightly mad. "_WILYKIT_! Watch your language! Or I'll rinse your mouth out with a bar of soap!" I snap, which makes her jump slightly. We walk inside of the Medical Centre, where Panthro and Tygra are waiting with a doctor, who is a puma.

The doctor bows to me as he says "Ah, your majesty. It's such an honour to meet you in person, my king!" He stands up again as I say "We heard that you've got a trauma victim bought in by my two friends here."

"Yes, my king. It's rather tragic, really. Follow me."

We all walk down the corridor of the IC unit as the puma says "You're not going to like what you see, my Lord."

Snarf jumps up onto my shoulder as he says "I hope it isn't something too disturbing. We Snarfs don't have very strong stomachs."

"What exactly happened?" I ask as the puma stops to pick up some medical documents from a desk.

"Well, as much as I hate to say it, the victim is a 19 year old snow leopardess called Marcia. She doesn't speak our language, nor is it any form of Thunderian. It looks like she was raped then beaten by another cat. Now, as for the subspecies of Thunderian who is responsible, it would either have to be a tiger or a lion, even though she has injuries that would be caused by brute strength, which means that a liger is more to blame. Her description of the cat who raped her doesn't make any logical sense because she said that he had one blue eye and one green eye, is a liger that's a cross with a Barbary lion and a tiger, who she described as having orangey-red stripes, which is an extremely rare pigmentation in the tiger clan. It only effects one in a thousandth of the tiger population."

"How rare is it exactly?"

"How rare is it? Well, sire, it's the equivalent of you being a white lion."

"Ah, I see...Anyway, have you any news on the leopardess' condition?" I ask as we stop in front of a door, where nurses rush in and out of the room.

"It's not good. She's still awake, but has serious memory loss. She has multiple internal injuries, including a ruptured liver and vaginal tearing. Brace yourself, sire, because it is hard to accept it."

The puma opens the door, and the second I walk in, the snow leopardess wakes with a start and starts screaming in an unrecognisable language.

"Mamma! Papà! Aiutami! Ha intenzione di attaccarmi! Il leone sta per attaccare me! Per favore, tenerlo lontano da me! Non lasciarlo più vicino a me!"

The two snow leopards, who are obviously her parents, rush to their daughter's side as the adult snow leopardess says "Marcia! Marcia, va bene! Lui è il re! Non ha intenzione di farti del male. Lui vuole solo farti qualche domanda."

Then, she turns to look at me as she says "Re Leone-O, io sono sempre così dispiaciuto. Lei è in potenti antidolorifici, così lei è in delirio. Mi dispiace che non potete capire. Si parla un'antica lingua madre terra chiamato italiana. Non possiamo parlare Thunderian."

I look behind me at the other Thundercats as I say "We can't communicate with them because they don't speak our language."

**...**

"Right, black cat with red eyes...black cat with red eyes...it's gotta be in here somewhere!" I snarl under my breath as I search the spines of the books in the library. "Achvall'qyyjjar; Satos, Krolljarr ziaa Thuundjaagerr, Lyjonzesksch," I say the Ancient Thunderian names that are printed onto the leather spines, and then I see the book that I was searching for.

"Märä: Thuundjaagerr-chaa'kht meurte..." I say as I flip through the pages, eventually coming to a page which has a drawing of the cat I saw earlier.

"Märä is truly the spawn of Satan himself. This ancient cat is rumoured to have created Thundera with her bare paws, but is also known to destroy life. Anybody who sees the devil's cat will soon lose their own life, or that of a beloved person. There is no way of being rid of the curse, meaning the poor soul who sees this demon will die within 24 hours of seeing it...oh...shit!" I snap as I look down at the book.

"Lion-O, is everything ok?" I hear Cheetara say as she enters the library behind me. I quickly snap the book closed and hide it behind my back as I say "Everything's fine, Cheetara. I just...erm...had some important stuff to...uh...sort out. Nothing of interest."

"Ok, so, nothing of interest, eh? What's so important that you have to keep it a secret?" my wife-to-be says as she walks towards me. She wraps one arm around my shoulders then passionately kisses me, then I realize what she's doing, far too late to react; Cheetara pulls the book from my hand before flicking through it. "Why are you reading about Märä?" she asks as we walk out of the library together.

"I may sound crazy saying this, but I actually saw it when we were at the Medical Centre. Cheetara, it says in the book that if a person sees it, then the person who saw it would die within 24 hours. Please, tell me it's not true."

As we walk into the dining room, she says "It's supposedly just a myth, but that's the way your mother died."

My blood turns to ice in my veins. "My...My mother died after...after seeing that cat?"

"It was your father who saw it, but your mother died because of it. It's said that you were dead when you were born, but your mother, Queen Leandra, gave her life so that you, her youngest son, could live."

"Why did nobody tell me that before? Surely because I'm the Lord of the Thundercats, I'd be told?"

"Lion-O, you've never been told because nobody thought that you'd be able to handle the truth. It's a lot to take in, especially considering the fact being that you're supposed to be dead."

I sit in my seat as Snarf puts a plate of venison and potatoes on the table in front of me. "Y'know, I've been thinking a lot recently." I say as I eat my food "What if Mumm-ra is intending for all of this to happen? The attack on the Black Pyramid, enslaving us, our escape, me and Cheetara getting married. What if it's all some sort of ploy to get our guard down?"

"You never know. He'd have to have planned this out very carefully."

"I know. I don't like this." I say as I put my knife and fork on my plate.

When I go to bed that night, the feeling of unease doesn't fade; it gets worse. As I pull on my pyjama bottoms, I try to concentrate on getting rid of my nervousness. I take the book from my bedside table as I slip under the covers on my bed. I switch on my bedside lamp before opening the book. I try to read, but I can't concentrate. I'm too tired. I put the book down on my bedside table and switch the lamp off after about an hour. I close my eyes, then the fatigue starts to take over...

**I'm running. The sound of gunfire is deafening, and the stench of gunpowder is sickening. I'm wearing some sort of armour. I look to my left and see another cat running alongside me; a young male litah. He looks like me, apart from the fact being that his mane is golden and nearly reaches his shoulders.**

"**Who are you?" I say as he looks at me.**

"**You'll find out soon enough, Lord of the Thundercats..."**

**He suddenly picks up speed, and disappears into thin air...**

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I look down at the dagger in my hands as I slowly walk down the corridor. I'd had to take Cheetara's form to be able to get into this hell-hole.

"_You MUST kill Lion-O!"_ a voice says in the back of my mind. "It will be done, my lords. It will be done!" I hiss as I stop outside of Lion-O's room. The door opens as thunder rumbles overhead as lightning streaks across the sky. I slink into the room and keep to the shadows as lightning lights up the room, illuminating Lion-O as he lies sleeping in his bed.

I feel the rage surge up again as the wretched Thundercat rolls over in his sleep, purring gently.

I growl slightly at the memory of watching him blow my beloved pyramid up. My grip tightens on the handle of the dagger as I take a light step forwards. Lightning flashes for a second time, casting my shadow upon the bed.

"Finally. After so many years! I'm finally going to kill him!" I say as I raise the dagger high above my head.

"Wha...what in the..." Lion-O grumbles as he stirs, opening his eyes slightly. Lightning flashes in the sky for a third time, casting my shadow over him. He wakes up like a shot and the second he sees me, he half screams, half roars as I lunge at him, swinging the dagger to the side, trying to slit his throat.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"**Lion-O! Lion-O, where are you?" I shout as I wander through the forest. I can't see or hear anything. I carry on towards the edge of the trees, and I see Lion-O standing alone on the edge of a cliff. The young lion turns to look at me as I run up to him and smiles. "Hey Cheetara." he says as I stand next to him. He looks up and stares at the sky as I look below us; we're standing on the edge of a high cliff in a canyon. "Lion-O," I say as a pebble loosens itself under my foot and is sent tumbling down the steep rock face "We'd better get back. Either one of us could fall down there to our deaths."**

**The lion looks at me as he says "Either way, it's a lovely view, isn't it?"**

**I sigh, but don't answer him back.**

"**Are you ok?"**

"**Yeah. Howether, I've got one question, Lion-O. Why are you standing here? Surely you know that this place is the perfect location for an ambush?"**

"**I know, but something drew me here..."**

_RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

I wake like a shot as I hear the piercing scream coming from Lion-O's room. I've never heard him scream like that. I leap out of bed and run out of the door, grabbing my dressing gown on the way. I'm guessing that everybody heard, because we're all running to his room. The second the door opens, I switch the light on, which reveals Lion-O kneeling on the floor in front of Mumm-ra, who is holding a dagger against the young lion's throat.

"Unless you want Lion-O's blood on the floor, give me the Sword of Omens!"

"Don't do it!"

Mumm-ra kicks Lion-O in the back, making him fall forwards onto the floor. I step forwards to help my fiancé, and Mumm-ra puts a heavy foot on top of the young lion's head, pushing him down onto the floor. Lion-O growls menacingly and tries to get up, but Mumm-ra forces him back down again.

"_I said _give me the Sword of Omens!"

"Never!" I growl as I step towards him "You'll never have the sword as long as either me or Lion-O lives!"

Mumm-ra cackles and digs the dagger into Lion-O's throat, which makes the young lion whimper as a bead of blood trickles down his throat. "So be it!"

Mumm-ra raises the dagger then brings it down...right into thin air. "What?" the ancient devil priest shouts as he realizes that Lion-O disappeared.

"HO!" I hear Lion-O's voice shout from behind us. I turn around and see him pointing the Sword of Omens at Mumm-ra. "Go back to your pyramid, mummy!" the young lion snarls as the sword fires a bolt of blue electricity at the mummy.

"This...isn't over, Lion-O! You may have won this battle, but you'll NEVER win the war! I'll come out victorious one day, and you and your pathetic Thundercat followers will be begging for mercy at my knees!_ THIS ISN'T OVER!_ I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" the decrepit mummy says as he transforms back into his weakest form. Lion-O growls and charges at him, but the wretched Ancient Egyptian devil priest flies out of the window, cackling as he goes.

Lion-O growls then turns to look at us. His nose is bloody, and his throat is covered with dried blood. "What the bloody hell happened? I was on the floor at Mumm-ra's feet, then I'm standing behind you with the Sword of Omens." he says as he wipes his nose on the back of his hand. "C'mon Lion-O. You need some ice on your nose." Pumyra says as she puts her arm around Lion-O's shoulders. They walk out, leaving me, Tygra and Panthro alone in the lion's room.

"I don't like this, guys. Mumm-ra has never been this desperate before. We need to be extra cautious. I just hope that we don't have to position members of the Thunderguard outside his room. We've already got them patrolling the Lair." I say as we walk out of Lion-O's room.

"It's necessary for his protection, Cheetara. Don't forget, he's 21 physically, but he's 10 years younger mentally."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Hold that on your nose. It's cold, but it'll bring down the swelling that you'll have later."

I groan as I hold the ice pack against my nose. It takes the edge off of the sting, but it still hurts. "Why doesn't Mumm-ra just give up?" I ask as Cheetara and the others walk in. "You know what Mumm-ra is like, Lion-O. He's not going to give up on getting the Sword of Omens." Pumyra says as she sits down.

"That's what I'm worried about most." I mumble as Cheetara sits down next to me

"I'm just worried about what's going on at the moment. You were pretty ill on the journey back, but you somehow recovered in two shakes of a cat's tail. I bet five Thunderian shillings that that was Mumm-ra's doing."

I look at the clock on the wall; it's 4;46am. "Well, I might as well start to get breakfast ready. You guys have got a busy day today. Oh, hell, so have I! I've got to get the food supplies sorted! I'm going to be cooking pretty much all day and half of the night." Snarf says as he walks out of the room in to the kitchen.

I look at Cheetara as I say "I can't believe that it's tomorrow. Nor can I believe exactly how quickly it's come around."

She smiles as the scent of cooking bacon fills the room. I look down at myself. I've got a scar across my left hip where Mumm-ra attacked me after I fought him in the Book of Omens. He caught me off guard when I signalled the other Thundercats by hitting me with the Sword of Plun-darr after he summoned it. I can still remember the pain of the jagged blade tearing into my flesh and grinding against my bone.

"You ok, Lion-O? You look like you're about to be sick."

I look up as I say "Yes! Yeah, I'm ok! Just...just recalling some old memories..."

_**...**_

I pace impatiently in the kitchen as I wait for Cheetara, Pumyra and Wilykit to get home from the city. "Lion-O, calm down. I'm sure that they're absolutely fine. They've probably just been held up or they're still shopping for the dresses." Snarf says as he stirs a vat of delicious smelling pie filling.

"But, what...what if they're in danger, and we don't know?" I ask. I growl with frustration and continue pacing.

"Lion-O," Snarf says. I stop and turn around. The red and yellow creature presses a spoon of the filling into my right hand without a single word. The sweet taste of candyfruit fills my mouth and coats my tongue. When I was a little cub, Snarf always gave me the spoons and bowls to lick clean, even though I'd end up in a sticky mess, then he'd clean them properly. "Anyway, what're you making?" I ask. He tastes the filling, then says "Candyfruit and strawberry pies for tomorrow. Hmmm...needs some more sugar."

I think for a minute then say "I'm going out to look for them. You never know."

I get up, put the spoon in the sink then run off, down the corridor. I carry on until I'm out of the lair, then I stop on the hill that overlooks the sprawling city of New Thundera. It's market day, today. It's going to be very busy down there.

I head for the thick, dense forest. Leaves crunch beneath my feet as I run down the dirt path.

Suddenly, I hear twigs snapping. I stop and listen carefully, turning my head in the direction of the sound. Now that I'm standing still, I can hear footsteps rapidly approaching. My hand hovers over the claw shield as I prepare to grab the Sword of Omens. The footsteps grow louder; they're right behind me. I roar viciously, rip the sword from the shield then whirl round, poised to strike whoever ran for me. Who I see breaks my heart.

"Cheetara!" I cry as she collapses into my arms "What happened to you?"

She breathes heavily as she says "Ambushed...by the Mutants. They...They took them to...to the pyramid."

I see the wound that snakes down her chest and stops at her right hip. "Who...Who did that to you?" I snarl.

"Slithe."

She shakily gets up then says "You've gotta help them. I'm coming with you."

Before I can stop her, she rockets off in the direction of the pyramid, her long mane flowing behind her. I follow her and sheathe the sword in the shield. She leads me through the thick forest, towards the ruins of the old city. The twisted, jagged metal of the ancient buildings litter the horizon, but she still runs on. Before too long, the pyramid looms above us. The entrance is open, as if Mumm-ra is expecting me. There could be a trap laid out for me within the pyramid, but if Mumm-ra has Thundercats held hostage, then I must go and save them.

I follow Cheetara through winding corridors that have cells either side of them. Slowly, we reach Mumm-ra's throne room. We edge round the room against the statutes, but I can't see Pumyra or Wilykit.

"GET HIM!" a familiar voice shouts, and I turn to run, but something hard and heavy hits me around the back of my head. Blood gushes down the back of my head as the ground rushes up to meet me. "That taught him, yesss?" I hear Slithe hiss as everything goes black...

I awake to a splitting headache. My mane and fur are matted with dried blood and the gash on the back of my head is still bleeding.

"He's waking up!"

"Don't worry Jackalman, you cowardly wretch! He's injured, and so isn't very threatening to usss, yesss?"

I can see Slithe, Jackalman, Monkian and Vultureman standing before me. The wretched ape is holding his mace, which is bloodstained. I know it's my blood.

Slithe turns to look at me then says "Where were you rushing to, cub? What's so important to you that you go running through the forest alone?"

I growl then say "Why do you care?"

The reptilian grins then slams my head against the stone statue. "_Tell me the truth!_" he snarls as he pulls my head back to look into my eyes. I growl again then spit in his face.

He cries out in rage as saliva drips off of his face, then forcefully smashes my head into the statue another four times. Blood trickles down my face as my head rings. "Slithe, you fool! I need Lion-O alive! If I find that he dies from that, I'll have your guts for garters!"

"M...Mu...Mumm-ra!" I groan as my vision clouds uncontrollably.

"Gnyah-ha-ha-ha! Looks like he's badly concussed to me!" Jackalman laughs as he waves his hand in front of my eyes "Give him the shot! Send him to hell!"

Something sharp pierces my neck, seconds before an ice-cold liquid seeps through my veins, leaving me in agony and feeling as weak as a kitten. I groan in pain as I realize that they'd injected me with pure liquid Thundrainium.

"Give him another dose of that stuff!"

I watch through half-open eyes as Monkian fills the needle with the glowing red liquid then walks towards me.

I grunt and groan as the needle enters my neck, and roar in agony as I feel the liquid being injected into me. I feel tired, weak and sick, but I don't know if that's because of my near-sleepless night last night, or from the Thundrainium.

I look down at the hand of the statue which is holding me in a vice-like grip. I need to escape. I fight against it with all of my remaining strength, exerting as much pressure on the statue as possible.

The stone begins to crack, and then it shatters, sending shards of stone everywhere. I ignore the shard that is buried deep in my right thigh and slowly walk towards Mumm-ra and the Mutants as an animal rush surges through my body. I keep staggering slightly because I feel light headed from the Thundranium.

The hackles down my back and neck stand on end as I growl harder and circle the ancient mummy and the four mutants. By the time I've fully circled round them, I'm down on all fours. Then, without giving them the slightest warning, I leap at Slithe, sinking my fangs as deep as I can into his arm.

He screams and drops the Claw Shield and the Sword of Omens as blood begins to dribble down his arm. I put my left hand into the claw shield, draw the sword then swing it at him. He backs off, until he trips over Ma-mutt. The un-dead bulldog wakes and slinks towards me then leaps at my throat. I easily hit him with the claw shield then turn and run on all fours.

I run down the seemingly endless corridors until I lose all sense of direction. Great! I'm lost! I sink down onto the floor and lean backwards against the wall as I bury my head in my hands. Suddenly, I find myself falling back into thin air. "Wha..." I shout as I throw my arms out to catch hold of something, but there's nothing; pure thin air.

My mane whips in my eyes as I fall through the air. I can see loads of different patterns; eyes, animals, people, scenery. The wind whistles in my ears as I flip myself over. I can see water not so far beneath me. I curl up into a ball as I hit the water's surface.

I find myself being swept along in the current. I fight to keep my head above the water, but it's like putty. I can't breathe. I give up on struggling and let the current take me where it goes. I close my eyes as I feel the water getting thinner. I start swimming towards the shore, and the second I'm on the sandy stretch of dry land, I collapse to my hands and knees as I choke. Water gushes from my mouth as my arms and legs give way, making me drop onto my front. I feel so weak from the Thundrainium. I look up at the starry night sky. Have I really been in the Black Pyramid that long? A dark silhouette appears above me and bends down over me.

"Leo?" I whisper, then my world goes black as I pass clean out...

"Lion-O? Lion-O, can you hear me? Wake up!"

I open my eyes and groan as a strong pain courses through my head and my left arm is aching. I groan in pain and try to sit up, but I'm gently pushed back down and a familiar voice snaps "Don't move! You could tear out your stitches!"

My eyes focus, and I can see that I'm lying in some sort of hut. "Wh...Where am I?" I say weakly as nausea washes over me. I look at my arm, and I see the Eye of Thundera carved into my arm.

"You're in my hut at the Ferrals' village, Lion-O."

"Leo?"

"Yeah, it's me. You're lucky to have washed up in the river where you did, Lion-O. This forest is haunted by the spirits of the ancestors. I've cleaned and sutured your wounds, and I've communicated with your Thundercats at the Lair to tell them that you're safe here."

He helps me sit up then takes a bowl from the side of a fire and fills it from the cooking pot.

"Here. Drink this." he says as he holds it to my lips.

"How do I know that you haven't poisoned it?"

"Wouldn't the Sword of Omens warn you? Plus, if I wanted you dead, I'd have dumped you back in that river."

"Well, yeah..."

"Just drink it!"

I start drinking whatever is in the bowl. It has a fragrant aroma that reminds me somewhat of the scents of days in the summer forests of New Thundera and Third Earth, and the taste is something to behold.

"What is this stuff?" I ask as Leo refills the bowl.

"It's an ancient Third Earth drink from a country called 'Japan'. We Ferrals call it chaa'jkykyllavarzsch, but its ancient name is 'green tea'. It's been mixed with honey to make it less bitter. It's a mixture of green tea, honey, and Ferral secret ingredients. Howether, it's sorta medicated. One of the leaves that I've added to the blend is a strong natural painkiller because it naturally contains the same chemicals as parecetamol."

I take another swig of the drink before saying "Did the Thundercats say when they'd be here? It's an extremely important day tomorrow. Well, it is for all of us."

"They said they'd be here at around 9pm. Anyway, why is it a very important day tomorrow?"

"It's my _wedding_! I asked you to be present. Remember?"

"Oh! Oh, yeah! I remember; you asked me to be best man, didn't you?"

"Yeah. And, remember, you promised me that you'd come!"

"_I REMEBER! _Well, you'd better get yourself ready to go," Leo says as he looks at me "The other Thundercats are coming."

"How do you...know..." I say, but I cut myself off when I see that Leo's eyes are glowing purple. He blinks, and his eyes return to normal. "Sorry," he says in a sarcastic voice as he gets up and walks towards the entrance "I didn't mean to...scare you."

He walks out of the hut, and I hear the engines of the Thundertank rapidly approaching.

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know. I just saw him in the river, so my guesses are that he was at the Black Pyramid. He's heavily wounded on his head, and he's badly concussed. It shouldn't last too long, though. He might be nauseous in the morning, but it's natural. He should be fine to shower in the morning because I've rubbed a healing salve onto the wounds"

The door opens and Leo walks in, leading the Thundercats in.

"Sneyarf! Lion-O! Didn't I tell you that they were fine? Reow, but you don't listen to me anymore..." Snarf says as he runs up to me. He looks around me before saying "Mumm-ra's gonna pay for this!"

I look up at Cheetara, Pumyra and Tygra as they walk towards me. "You can't keep yourself out of trouble for three seconds, can you?" the cheetah says jokily as the tiger and puma lift me up.

"We'd better get back to Cat's Lair quickly. We all need our sleep; it's going to be a _very _long day tomorrow." I say as we walk out of the door and towards the waiting Thundertank.

I look up and see the new moon above us. A shooting star flies by, leaving a streak of silver in the sky. Tomorrow is going to be fun.

**...**

"Lion-O! Lion-O! Wake up, Lion-O! C'mon! You need to get ready!"

I groan and push Snarf off of me. "Piss off, Snarf! I'm trying to sleep!" I mumble as I roll over and pull the blankets over me.

"No sleeping in! Have you forgotten? It's your wedding today..."

What the red and yellow cat says takes three seconds to register with me, then I'm out of bed like a shot. "_SHIT_! I can't _believe_ that I forgot! Oh, God, I've gotta get ready!" I say as I quickly slip my dressing gown on then run out of the door to the dining room. I sit down in my seat and grab a bowl of cereal. I rapidly shovel it into my mouth, unaware of the others staring at me. I look up, and say "_What?_"

They turn their attention back to their breakfast. I drain my cup of coffee then get up out of my chair. "Well, someone's in a rush today!" I hear Wilykat say, but I ignore him and run out of the room.

When I reach my bedroom, I run into the bathroom and switch the shower on. I've only got a few hours to get myself ready. I strip off and grab my towel as I walk into the bathroom. I sling my towel over the radiator before getting under the warm spray. Somehow, what Leo put on my wounds healed them overnight. I've had my suspicions about him, but I never knew that the Ferrals were, in a way, 'magical'.

I grab the shampoo from the shelf and dump a load on my mane and rub it in before rinsing it out. I've never been so grateful to have a shower. My fur has had a certain smell to it since I was trapped in the Black Pyramid. I grab the body wash and rub it into my thick fur. I rinse the soapy suds from my body then grab my towel.

As I walk into my room, I see a special outfit on my bed. I try to ignore the nervousness welling up inside my stomach as I dry myself off. I pick up the shirt and pull it on; it's loose and has long sleeves that reach my wrists, which is something that I'm not used to, but I suppose it's intended to be loose because I'd tear the material the second I flex my arms. I pull my underwear on then the trousers.

"Lion-O, you ready for us to come in?" I hear Snarf ask as he knocks on the door.

"I guess so." I say as I pull my knee-high boots on.

The door opens, and Snarf, Snarfer, Tygra, Wilykat and Panthro walk in. They're all wearing suits, but the Snarfs are wearing white shirts and waistcoats.

"Feeling nervy, eh?" Panthro says as he sits on the bed next to me.

"Yeah. I haven't felt so nervous since I was crowned King of New Thundera." I say as Snarf starts attacking my mane with a comb "SNARF! I can do that myself!"

He drags the comb through my mane as he says "I know, but it looks like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards."

I stand up then look at myself in the mirror. I take the comb from Snarf, drag it through my mane a few times, then put some hair gel in my mane.

"You'd better get ready quickly. You've got fifteen minutes before we need to leave for the Cathedral."

"Yeah, I know." I say as I slip the black jacket on then tie the green tie around my neck.

**...**

The cathedral on New Thundera is huge. It towers over the rest of the buildings, casting a large, dark shadow over the city. Dedicated to our Gods, it's a testament to their greatness and prowess.

The spires stand tall; appearing to reach to the very heavens the ancestors of the Thunderians fell from thousands of years ago. The gargoyles that stare out blankly towards the four points of the compass are alien in their design. The protectors of the Thunderian gods, they're carved from the finest marble and glistening in the sunlight like wet leather.

A giant eagle circles over head and screams for its mate, bringing me out of my daydreams. I stand at the bottom step, looking at the blue and gold banners flapping in the wind on flag poles either side of the grand double oak doors. The Eye of Thundera is carved into the stone. I shield my eyes against the glare of the midday sun to look at the Thunderian flag that flies in the wind on the highest spire.

I close my eyes, take a deep breath and walk through the large oak doors.

I can hear a hum of voices from within as I cross the threshold. I catch my reflection in a large mirror as I pass it and pause to look.

My blood red mane is as scruffy as ever, despite being combed earlier. My shirt is tucked in at my waist into a pair of royal blue trousers, which had been made especially for today. It feels tight already, and I can't breathe properly. I look down at my boots, which had been polished until they shone like a mirror. My left arm is still sore from when Leo carved the Eye of Thundera into my shoulder, and I hear his voice call my name as I rub my arm.

"Lion-O,"

In the mirror, I see Leo walking towards me, his mane neatly pulled back into a Ferral warrior's braided ponytail which had been threaded with red and black beads.

"You're extremely nervous, aren't you?"

"Meh. What sold it to you?"

"You've got that scent."

He looks incredibly uncomfortable in his suit, but I suppose that's because he's used to wearing animal skin clothes.

"Why the hell did you ask me to wear this?" he says as he stops beside me and checks himself over. He runs a hand through the thick fur on his chin then takes something from his pocket.

He then slings an arm over my shoulders as we walk towards the main part of the cathedral. "Here. This is a little something that I made for you a few days ago." he says as he presses something into my hand. I open my hand, and see the carved stone pendant in my hand. The design is similar to that of an ancient First Earth clan of humans called the Celts, with the Eye of Thundera in the centre. "It's an ancestral charm. It's a Ferral tradition to give a man one of these on their wedding day to repel evil spirits who might jinx everything."

"Erm...thanks."

We walk past countless statues of Thunderian cats and carvings from the history of Thundera. Then, just outside of the main part of the Cathedral where a grand sculpture of Satos, Thy'lacaon, Tristahn and Märä.

"_Satos, I thank you for what you have done for us Thundercats. I am obliged for the help." _I say in Thunderian, then we walk through the door, showing the crowd who are seated in the pews.

Leo clears his throat then calls "Hail Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera!"

The crowd stands up and as I pass them, they bow to me then straighten up again. As I stand by the altar, Leo stands next to me.

I can hear Wilykit's voice from behind me, then the sound of an organ fills the air and I hear gasps of admiration. I turn around, and am struck dumb by Cheetara; she's wearing a billowing white wedding dress and her mane is curled. As she stands next to me, I say "Wow. You look absolutely beautiful!"

"And you look extremely handsome."

The vicar stands before us and starts the ceremony, but I'm not listening properly. It seems like forever until he says "Do you, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera take Lady Cheetara to be your wife and queen in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"

I gulp nervously before turning to Cheetara, and, taking her right hand, I say "I, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera take you, Cheetara, to be my wife and queen, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. You are eternally mine to cherish forever until the end of time or the end of me."

Cheetara says the same before we give each other the rings. Then, the vicar says "I know pronounce you cat and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

I lift Cheetara's veil then pull her close to me. I slant my lips against hers as the crowd cheers.

I hear Leo shout "Long live Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera! Long live Cheetara, Lady of the Thundercats and Queen of New Thundera!"

The hall is filled with the sounds of the people cheering it, then we walk down the aisle, hand in hand.

When we reach the front doors, two members of the ThunderGuard bow to us then open the doors. I can hear the wedding bells ringing before we're even outside.

When we walk out of the doors, we're showered with pink, red and white confetti. Everybody cheers as we make our way back to the Thundertank.

By the time we get back to Cat's Lair, everything is set up for the party. As we walk through the grand gates, the members of the ThunderGuard who guard the Lair bow to me and Cheetara as we walk past them, arm in arm. When we go through to the garden, I see the decorations.

"Wow. This is just amazing!" I say as I shake my head to get the confetti from my mane.

"Guys, c'mon! We've got everything set for the party." I hear Torr call from the tent.

We walk into the tent as the guests start to enter the garden. Everything Snarf and a few of the guests cooked is laid out on a large table. There are many tables in the tent, and another large table sprinkled with confetti is at the head of the tent.

"You guys have the first dance." Torr says as the guests sit at their tables.

I see Leo, Bräiden and Jøhba walking through the gates. As me and Cheetara sit at the table, Jøhba and Bräiden sit in their seats as everyone else takes their seats.

As the other Thundercats sit down, Leo stands before us and says "I would like to make a toast to my brother and his new wife:

"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Leo, Lion-O's older brother. I stand before you all today as the best man, which is a job that I never thought I'd have. Now, me and Lion-O have never really seen eye-to-eye, and our father was never happy about it, but..."

Leo goes on and on, but eventually says "To the King and new Queen of New Thundera! May there be many happy years to come, and hopefully, a complete royal family." He turns and winks at me.

Then, the food is bought to the tables. I look at Cheetara as my glass is filled with red wine. "Y'know, I was really nervous about today; it's been absolutely fine. Howether, my arm _has _started to hurt again, though!" I say as I glare at Leo. He grins then turns his attention back to the plate of food in front of him.

"This is actually quite nice. What is it?" I ask as I chew my way through a good-sized piece of roast meat.

"Rabbit in a white wine sauce with petis pois and rice." Snarf says as he passes a plate to Wilykit.

"R...Rabbit?"

"Yeah. Plus, there's also a choice of venison or pheasant stuffed with champignons wrapped in streaky bacon. Or, traditional smoked salmon fillets with potatoes and au vin sauce."

I take a sip from my glass of wine then say "And for dessert?"

"Dark chocolate mousse with black cherry or candyfruit pie with Madagascan vanilla ice cream."

"Ok. I'll take the candyfruit pie."

"And I think I'll have the same." Cheetara says as she puts her knife and fork down on her plate.

Snarf takes mine and Cheetara's empty plates then rushes to get the desserts.

I feel Cheetara grab my hand as she says "Today has been the best, and happiest day of my life!"

I laugh as I unscrew the lid off of the bottle of whiskey that Leo have me then pour it into my empty glass. "It's been the same for me."

Snarf places the plates of pie in front of us, and we eat without a single word. I look over the guests that are present., and I can't help but remember mine and Leo's twelfth birthday party.

I'd got hyper on sweets and pop, meaning that I stripped naked and ran around the garden. Leo even said that father had to climb a tree after me because I'd climbed it then refused to come down.

"Lion-O, Lion-O! C'mon, it's time for you and Cheetara to dance together."

I look up at Snarf as he stands before me.

"Right, right. I...errrm...uhhh...I'm ready." I say as I hastily get up. I take Cheetara's hand as we walk down to the dance floor. A song starts playing, and we start dancing. I sing along with the song as I twirl Cheetara around. When it finishes, we kiss again. Then, a crazy song starts up and everyone gets going.

I take another deep swig from my glass of whiskey as we continue socializing with the crowd.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I look up from my glass of red wine and look at the dance floor; most of the guests are enjoying a slow dance. Today has been simply magical. The wedding ceremony was flawless and went without a single hitch, and the party has gone perfectly for the last few hours.

I look to my left at Lion-O; his cheeks are as red as his mane and he's unbuttoned his shirt, as well as untying his tie. I know he's drunk; I can clearly smell the alcohol on him. Howether, he keeps throwing back whiskey like the stuff's water. He knows that he shouldn't be drinking so heavily, but there's nothing stopping him.

I give him a swift jab in the hip with my elbow as I hiss "Lion-O, you shouldn't be drinking so much! You'll _really _regret it later!"

Lion-O laughs heavily before turning to look at me as he says "C'mon, what's the harm? 'No harm done'!"

He refills his glass then throws it back before standing up and walking down towards Leo. I follow him and stand behind him.

"Hey, Leo," he says as he puts an arm around his brother's shoulders.

"Yes, Lion-O?" Leo asks, obviously noticing that his brother is drunk.

"Why does the Easter Bunny hide Easter eggs?"

"I don't know..."

"Because he doesn't want anybody to know that he's been fucking the..."

"_LION-O!"_ I say as I roughly grab his arm "Don't be so dirty!"

He laughs then says "It's not! Listen, how can you tell if a chick is too fat to fuck?"

"I don't know and I _DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!"_

"When you pull her pants down, her arse is still in 'em!"

"Oh, God, he's even worse than you!" I say as the young lion starts cackling in a drunken stupor.

Me and Leo drag Lion-O back to the table.

_**...**_

The party is over by midnight. As I thank the guests for coming and lead them to the gates, I look behind me and see Lion-O standing on the steps of the Lair, his head held in his right hand. He's absolutely pissed, but at least he'll learn his lesson from the hangover he'll have in the morning. I run up to him and say "I think you'd better get to bed, Lion-O. You don't look so good."

I sling my right arm around his shoulders and lead him inside of the Lair. He mumbles something unintelligible, but doesn't object when we walk into the entrance hall. He stumbles and faceplants on the stone floor; I try to muffle my laughter as he gets up, then he falls over again. "_Fuck!_" he snaps, then starts swearing in Ancient Thunderian like a trooper.

Pumyra walks in, and stops dead at the sight of our drunken lord.

"We'd better get him upstairs before he starts throwing up." she says as she helps me get Lion-O up off of the floor.

Tygra has to help us carry him upstairs because he's so unco-operative. When we're in our room, we sit him on the bed as we try to get him changed into his pyjamas, which proves to be a much more difficult task than we'd originally anticipated. Then, we have to drag him into the bathroom to the toilet because he starts violently vomiting.

We're in bed half an hour later; Lion-O is on his side with a bucket by his side incase he vomits again.

I'd moved all of my possessions into Lion-O's room earlier; it looks weird to see my things along with the young lion's stuff.

I switch out the light then say "Goodnight, Lion-O.", but he must already be asleep because I can hear his snoring.

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**After a perfect wedding, Lion-O and Cheetara decide to settle down and have cubs. Howether, is New Thundera a safe place for a prince or princess? When problems start to ramp up and an ancient enemy makes a re-appearance, all the years of Lion-O's training is put to the test. Will he be able to defeat the ancient force of evil, or be banished from New Thundera...forever?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	9. Chapter 8: Hero - Part I

_**A/N: I thank everyone for sticking and staying loyal with this story for so long. I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, but it's a two parter. Either way, I hope you enjoy.**_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Sunday 17**__**th**__** May 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Saturday 23**__**rd**__** May 2015**_

_**Song/s: Hero by Skillet**_

Chapter 8: Hero, Part I

I open my eyes, which is a decision that I instantly regret. "Oh, God...what the fuck?" I groan as I sit up. I grab my head as my temples pound. The stench of alcohol hangs round me like a cloud of poisonous fumes, making me feel sick. I grab the bucket by my side, just in time.

"Well, you're finally awake, then?"

I look up at Cheetara, who is sitting on her side of the bed. She's fully dressed, and the curtains are drawn.

"What time is it?"

"It's ten to nine in the morning."

"Oh, god..." I can barely finish my sentence before I start vomiting again. "Wha...What the hell happened? I ca...can't remember anything."

"You got really drunk last night. I must say, though. You did try to kiss Leo, which was funny."

I groan as I lie down again. "Well, Leo also said to make sure that you were ok." she says as she hands me the glass of water.

I drink it gratefully as I say "Well, I hope that the hangover won't last too long."

Cheetara laughs as I try to get out of bed. "I don't think that you'll be going anywhere so soon, Lion-O. You're pretty hung-over." she says as I struggle to stand up.

"I'd like to see that stop me! I've got on with the day with worse than this before." I groan as my wife watches me walk out of the door.

I stumble down the corridor to the Council Chamber and slump into my chair as Cheetara walks in. Everybody is looking at me, making me slightly edgy. "You ok, Lion-O? You're looking pretty pale." Snarfer says as he sips his cup of coffee. "Yeah, just...just pretty hung-over. I will never drink a single drop of alcohol...again!" I groan as I put my head in my hands.

"Sneyarf! Ha! Famous last words. They _all _say that, but they never learn." Snarf purrs as he puts a glass of water and some pills of aspirin in front of me.

"This sucks!" I snap as I take the pills and down the water.

"Hope you've learned your lesson then, Lion-O."

"So do I!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"_You have failed again, Mumm-ra!"_

"Please, my Lords! Have mercy on me!"

"_WHY SHOULD WE? EVERY TIME YOU TRY, EVERY CHANCE WE GIVE YOU, YOU HAVE FAILED TO KILL LION-O AND RID US OF THOSE WRETCHED THUNDERCATS!"_

"My Lords, it isn't as easy as you would think! Lion-O may be an overgrown cub, but he is a strong opponent. The Sword of Plun-darr is no match for the Sword of Omens. I have tried, but I tire of this game. Why don't we just give up?"

"_WE WILL NOT GIVE INTO DEFEAT, MUMM-RA! THE THUNDERCATS MAY BE FORMIDABLE ENEMIES, BUT WE WILL SHOW NO WEAKNESSES TO THEM! Summon Osiris, Anubis, Thoth, Nephthys, and Seker. If you cannot cut Lion-O's life short, then they certainly can!"_

I look down at the cauldron as I say "Oh Ancient Spirits of Evil, hear me!

_Mvua ya mawe kwako, _

_Anubis, _

_Osiris, _

_Thoth, _

_Nephthys, _

_Seker._

_Anpu, Nebukadreza-ta-djeser! _

_Kuja kwangu! _

_Ah juu moja, _

_Ah mtu hodari, _

_Ah bwana wa siri kwa wale walio katika Underworld, Death._

_Ah Farao wa wale waliopo Amenti, _

_Ah Mkuu Mganga, _

_Ah mwana mwema wa Osiris, _

_Yeye ambaye uso ni kubwa miongoni mwa Mungu, _

_Unapaswa itaonekana befor mkono wa Osiris. _

_Mniabudu roho za Abydos. _

_Ili kwamba wote kuishi kupitia wewe, _

_Roho hizi, _

_Ndio wa wavu takatifu. _

_Kuja duniani! _

_Jidhihirishe kwangu hapa leo!"_

Thecauldron starts bubbling and fizzing uncontrollably, the vivid purple water melts into a shade of deep blood red. The candle that I have held in my hand is extinguished by a sudden gust of ice-cold wind, and five pairs of glowing red eyes are peering at me from in the darkness.

"What do you want us to do, oh Mighty Mumm-ra?" a masculine voice says as Anubis walks out of the shadows, followed by a woman, a hawk, an ibis, a man and a falcon.

"I require your help to put an end to the reign of the Thundercats. Their wretched cub lord is King of this damned planet."

"_Cats?" _Anubis snarls as he walks up to the cauldron "I'll tear them to shreds!"

"Oh, but, almighty ones, these are no ordinary cats." I say as I wave my hand over the now calm waters of my cauldron. The five Gods watch as I show them the Thundercats in action. Then, I say "And this is their leader. I'm sure that you will be able to...exterminate him." I show them Lion-O fighting against my many evil minions.

Seker squawks then caws "Surely if he is a cub like you say, we'd be able to tear his head clean off?"

"He's a lot stronger than he looks."

"We noticed. It's rather pathetic considering the fact being that you can't defeat a mere boy!"

I feel my anger surging up again at Seker's comment.

"Don't mock my powers, Seker! It's your new job to wipe the upstart from the face of New Thundera! I attempted to do that myself two nights ago; I lured him to this pyramid, disguised as Cheetara, where the Mutants of Plun-darr ambushed him, but he escaped. It's your job to get them trapped inside of their sardine-can of a Lair, and challenge him to a fight. And, I want his broken, twisted body before me by sundown tomorrow!"

"Yes Mumm-ra. Whatever you say." Anubis says as he turns away.

"One thing that you're forgetting, Anubis." I say as he turns back around to face me.

"What?"

"The greatest weakness of all Thunderians is Thundrainium. Make sure that you line your weapons with the metal before fighting him; it should subdue his powers."

"I know what I'm doing Mumm-ra! We _ALL _do!" he says as they walk out of the door. I chuckle to myself as I watch them go. "Well, Ma-mutt. This should be fun to watch!" I say as I stroke my demonic dog. The hound barks then tries to lick the side of my face. "Yes, Ma-mutt, I love you too." I say as I look at the image in the cauldron of Lion-O sitting on the sofa in the Lair's library with Cheetara cuddling up to him. He doesn't know what's coming to him.

I put Ma-mutt down then say "And now to pay those wretched Mutants and Lunataks a visit!

"ANCIENT SPIRITS OF EVIL, TRANSFORM THIS DECAYED FORM TO MUMM-RA, THE EVER-LIVING!"

My whole entire body starts to change; my weak, shrivelled arms start to bulge as my muscles expand, my chest starting to fill out. I look down on Ma-mutt as I say "Time to put the Thundercats through their paces!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Battle stations!"

"What's happening?" I ask as I look up at Tygra. The tiger stops before me as he pants "Mumm-ra, the Mutants and the Lunataks are on their way here! Plus, this time, they've bought some friends!"

I stand up as I growl. "Are the defences online and locked on?" I say as we run down the corridor.

"Negative. None are operational. Somehow, there's something fucking with the defence systems."

"Shit! Looks like we're going to have to fight them off like we used to. Everyone get your weapons and meet me back in the main entrance!"

I run into the Sword Chamber and take the Sword of Omens from the stand then connect the Claw Shield to my left hip before running back out again. As I race to the main entrance, I pass many young ThunderGuard troops who are also headed towards the entrance. When I eventually get there, I'm met by Mumm-ra and his cronies.

"What the hell do you want, Mumm-ra?" I snap as I step forwards. I pull the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield as Mumm-ra signals to a dog-headed man. The creature steps forwards and snarls "He doesn't want anything, but we do!" He draws a long scythe-like sword from his side "I challenge you to a fight, cub!"

"You'll lose, but it's your call, you son of a bitch!"

"Ah, that's where you're wrong! It's five-on-one!"

I look either side of him, and see five other gods next to him; three birds, a man and a woman.

"Lion-O, you can't take them all on at once!" I hear Cheetara say from behind me. I turn around and see her standing behind me with her hand on my right shoulder. I shake my head at her before saying "No, Cheetara. I've got to."

"But..."

"Don't argue with me, Cheetara. Please."

"But...Lion-O...he could kill you!"

"That's a risk I'm more than willing to take."

Cheetara nods as she then backs off. I take a deep breath in before stepping forwards. The black jackal laughs then says "Come on then, coward! _FIGHT!_"

He runs for me, just as I pull the Claw Shield onto my hand. Caught off guard, his fist flies out and catches me on the chin; the taste of blood fills my mouth as I accidently bite down on my tongue. I growl with rage before launching myself at him, only to miss and be sent flying into thin air. I get to my feet and look over my shoulder at the Ancient Egyptian god as he smirks at me. "And I thought that you'd fight better. You disappoint me, Lion-O!" he snarls as he draws a spear-like sword. I run towards him, swinging the Sword of Omens across, but he blocks the blow with his weapon.

Howether, when I charge him again, he throws me back, and something hits me around the head. I try to get up, but two of the other gods grab my arms and hold them behind my back as I'm bound and gagged.

"Hahahahaha! You're not so fearsome now, are you?"

"Mmmmmmnnnnnn!" I scream into the gag as the other Thundercats are quickly bound and gagged, which earns me a sharp punch around the face and to my stomach.

Mumm-ra cackles then says "A job well done, Anubis!" I try to get up, but Anubis hits me on top of my head, making me see stars momentarily. I growl as I struggle to stay on my feet. "KNEEL! Or I'll kill you!" the hawk-man screeches as he jabs me in the back of the neck with his spear. I fall to my knees, much to the disappointment of the others.

"Lion-O! You _can't _give up! You can't!" I hear Wilykit cry as a gag is rammed into her mouth.

"Mmmmm...mm mmm?" I roar into the gag as Slithe walks towards me, carrying the Book and Key of Omens.

"Lion-O," Mumm-ra says as he turns the key in the keyhole in the Book "I banish you from New Thundera forever, never to return!" The Book is placed in front of me as the Ancient Egyptian devil priest starts to chant

"Hear me, Ancient Spirits of Evil.

I offer to vanquish the Lord of the Thundercats from this planet,

To rid us of him forever.

To send him back in time and space,

To the ancient First Earth,

To the time of animal-man gods and powerful evil magic.

Oh, Ancient spirits of Evil, send him back and seal him inside of the Book of Omens, never to return to New Thundera!

To make sure that he's trapped forever!

_Anquu'aat-connceniini polligaaj!_

_Huumiagj'zcva-aacht na Re! _

_Kuungth'zjaarzsch Laarchd!_

_Romaji'chaa-ce que acchtvalzsch!_

_Anquu'aat-connceniini polligarj!"_

I look down at the Book of Omens as it starts to glow a deep shade of red, disturbingly similar to blood, then it envelops me.

I can feel some sort of force pulling me into the book. That's when I see the ghostly black hands dragging me into it. My claws scratch the floor as I struggle to get a grip on the stone. Everything fades to black as I get sucked into the Book of Omens...

I open my eyes to the blinding bright light of the sun. I can feel the hot sand under me, as well as the scorching sun on my body. I sit up and shake the sand from my clothes and fur before getting to my feet.

_Trapped forever..._

The voice echoes in my mind as I scour the landscape; desert. Miles of vast, unrelenting, sandy desert, as far as the eye can see. There's nothing around for miles; nothing but sand dunes and mirages.

I whip my shirt off and start walking, the infernal sun beating down on my back.

_Never to return to New Thundera..._

My mouth is dry and my tongue feels like sandpaper. I shield my eyes against the sun as I look behind me. What looks like a group of humans are approaching on the backs of what look like...camels?

As they get closer to me, I can see that they're Thunderians. I can hear them talking as they approach me.

"Who is he?"

"I don't know. Never seen him before."

"Hold on...he looks like a Thunderian!"

"That's not possible! He doesn't look anything like us!"

"A Plun-darrian, maybe?"

"No. He doesn't look like one."

"Halt, boy! Speak your name, and be wise not to attack us!" one of them says as he stops before me. I stop and say "I am Lion-O, the Lord of the Thundercats."

"Do not lie! Any old fool knows that the current Lord of the Thundercats is Lee-O, soon to be taken over by Lygaar, then Tyrone, then Löwe-N, and his newborn son, Prince Satos!"

I drop to my knees from exhaustion.

_Sealed inside of the Book of Omens..._

"Hey, Lion-O, you ok? You look like you could do with something to drink." an ocelot says as he throws me a water skin.

I take a heavy swig from the water skin, but it tastes strange. Bitter. That's when I realize that it's drugged. I fall to my knees as it takes effect on me. The ocelot jumps down off of his camel, as well as a tiger. "Get him secured to your camel. I'm sure that the Queen would love another cat god."

"That is _if _we can pass him off as a god!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"There's got to be a way to get Lion-O out of the Book of Omens."

I look down at the golden book as if I can pull my husband out with my own will. "The only way that we can is if someone uses the sword to get in."

"Even so, we don't know exactly where he is. Mumm-ra did say something about '_the time of animal-man gods and powerful evil magic_', which could suggest that it's a time where he was at his most powerful."

"Isn't Mumm-ra from Ancient Egypt?"

"By Jaga! That must be where he is!"

"I'll go into the book."

"No, Cheetara. You can't! It's far too dangerous. I'll go."

I look at Tygra as I say "No. Lion-O is my husband, so I will go."

The old tiger shakes his head as he says "No. As I said, it's too dangerous for you. Lion-O could be in danger and..."

"_TYGRA!_" I snap as I look at him "I said _I'll _go! I'll get Lion-O."

Tygra nods then says "Ok. It's your call, Cheetara. After all, you _are _the Queen, now."

I stand up before saying "It's set. I leave tonight."

Everybody is silent. The wind howls outside as the rain patters on the window pane. Thunder rumbles from overhead as lightning streaks across the sky. I look out at the moon rising over the distant mountains. "Cheetara, you'd better have something to eat to get your strength up." Snarf says as he hands out bowls of stew to everyone. I turn back around and pick up my spoon, but I just push it around my bowl; I don't feel hungry at all.

"It's been a day. Who knows how long Lion-O's been in Ancient Egypt for? Time passes quicker in the Book of Omens. He could have been in there for months, maybe even years." I say as I stand up, unable to eat anything. "Well, I'd better go, then." I say as I walk out of the door. They get up, and follow me to the room where the Book is usually kept. It's lucky that the Sword of Omens fought Mumm-ra off by itself.

"Well, this is it."

I turn around and look at the other Thundercats. "I promise, I will have Lion-O when I come back." I say as I take the Key and the Sword of Omens from Tygra.

"Just be careful, Cheetara. We don't want to lose you and Lion-O in the Book." Snarf says as I place the book on its stand.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." I say as I put the Key into the Keyhole.

"Thundercats,"

"_HO!"_

I feel myself getting pulled into the book. Minutes later, I'm standing before the Guardian of the Book of Omens.

"_I understand that you wish to rescue Lion-O, Cheetara."_

"Yes. He's been sucked into Ancient Egypt and..."

"_Pay heed of the dangers! Once you go back through time and space, you will not be able to return unless Tygra uses the Sword of Omens to get you both out!"_

"But Lion-O is the only one who can use the Sword!"

"_Lion-O can call the Sword into the Book of Omens. So, Cheetara, Lady of the Thundercats, are you ready?"_

"Yes. I am ready to go to Ancient Egypt and bring my husband, the Lord of the Thundercats, back to New Thundera."

A bright blue aura surrounds me as the pitch black scenery slowly changes to that of a hot, arid desert. The heat hits me instantly. How can any living being survive in a place without water? I look around, and I can see the outlines of three pyramids and a city against the setting sun. Well, if Lion-O is around here somewhere, I'd better start looking for him.

My best bet is to look for him in the city.

**...**

"Lion-O! Lion-O, where are you?" I shout as I walk through the dark streets. I hear footsteps approaching from behind me, making me turn around. The young lion is standing before me, but he looks so different. His skin has been slightly tanned by the unrelenting, hot Egyptian sun, and his muscles are even more toned than before he got sucked into the Book of Omens. He's wearing some type of white material which is wrapped around his waist, and he's barefooted.

His smile fades to a scowl as he stands still.

"Where the bloody hell have you been? It's been two weeks! _TWO weeks! _What took you so long?" he says as he walks towards me. I can clearly detect the hurt tone in his voice. As I walk around him and inspect his body, I can clearly see that the scars on my husband's back have been made darker by his tan.

"We've had Mumm-ra, the Mutants, the Lunataks and those Ancient Egyptian gods watching us like hawks for the last day and a half! Anyway, what have you been up to?"

He sighs before saying "You wouldn't _believe _the things I've seen! I've seen the rise of Mumm-ra, and humanity is starting to increase in population, driving the Thunderians off of the planet."

"Well, either way, I've come to get you out of here, but we can't get out of here until Tygra uses the Sword of Omens to get us out."

We walk towards the edge of the city as the sun disappears below the horizon. He leads me to a cave, then says "We can bed down here for the night. We'll sort everything out tomorrow."

We lie down on the sand as the air starts to get colder. I snuggle into my husband's furry chest for warmth, making him wrap his arms around me as we watch the fire that we built roaring to life. I look into his eyes as I say "I love you, Lion-O."

He passionately kisses me as he says "I love you too, Cheetara." He turns back to the fire then lies down to go to sleep, smiling for the both of us as I join him.

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**When Lion-O and Cheetara return from Ancient Egypt, they're met by a pissed-off Mumm-ra. The young Lord of the Thundercats must drive the ancient devil priest from his home, a task which will put his every strength to the test. Will he succeed?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	10. Chapter 9: Hero - Part II

_**A/N: I'm sorry if the last chapter seemed rushed, but most of the time, I couldn't think of what to write. Either way, this is the second part of the two-part chapter. I hope you enjoy. **_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, very slight adult themes and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Saturday 23**__**rd**__** May 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Saturday 23**__**rd**__** May 2015**_

_**Song/s: Hero by Skillet**_

Chapter 9: Hero, Part II

I open my eyes to the blinding sun. I sit up and yawn. As I stretch, I notice that Lion-O's gone. I stand up and look out over the sands, and I can see the young lion approaching.

"Where did you go?" I ask as he enters the cave.

He sits down on the floor before taking out a large parchment bag. He opens it before emptying the contents onto a piece of material. "I got us some breakfast. Turns out that they like a continental breakfast. It's fruit, meat, bread and fish, as well as honey." he says as he tears into one of the fresh, steaming loaves of bread. I tuck in, ravenously eating the food. It's actually quite nice.

I look up at Lion-O as he cuts a chunk of meat into slices. "It's salami. It's imported from Italy. There's also pepperoni. Oh, I also got you this." he says as he takes something from the bottom of the bag. He passes it to me, and I see that it's an Egyptian ankh. He slips the cord around my neck.

"It's beautiful." I say as I look at it in my hand.

"Wasn't cheap, either. Cost me fifty-nine chickens, along with the food, which cost sixty-seven chickens. I can't believe the monetary system."

He passes me a large water skin, which I hastily drink from.

"Well, we'd better get out of here." he says as he stands up. We walk out of the cave as I say "Can't you call the Sword of Omens into the Book? You did once."

"By Jaga! You're right! We just spent a night trying to get to sleep when we could have been out of here!" he says as he stands still.

"Oh, well. Either way, you can do it now." I say as I turn around to face him.

He holds his hand up as he says "Sword of Omens, come to my hand! I, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats command it!"

Only a minute passes until the Sword materializes in his hand.

"Cheetara, grab my hand." he says as he holds his right hand out.

I take Lion-O's hand, seconds before the ground seems to disappear beneath me as we rise into the sky.

"Just don't let go!"

Seconds later, we're standing before everyone in the Council Chamber. Snarf is the first one to react, jumping into Lion-O's arms and making a big fuss over him about how he should have denied Anubis' challenge.

Lion-O groans at his nursemaid's lecture and says "Snarf, Mumm-ra would have done that anyway. I was just worried about what he'd have done to you guys if he had the chance."

Then, he looks around as he says "Is Mumm-ra gone?"

"No," Tygra says as he looks out of the window "He's not gone. He's been keeping us pressed into the Lair like sardines in a can."

"Then why haven't you fought him off?"

"We were waiting for you to get back before we did." Lynx-O says as his ears twitch "Be prepared. He's coming!"

Sure enough, Mumm-ra appears before us all.

"How the blazes did you escape?" the ancient mummy roars as he sees Lion-O.

"A little thing called 'not giving up'. Have you ever heard of that?" the young lion says as he walks towards Mumm-ra, who unsheathes the Sword of Plun-darr.

"I should have defeated you when I had the chance!"

"You'd have an extremely hard time trying, and you'd fail, just like you _always _do!"

Mumm-ra charges at Lion-O, who easily dodges his attack.

"That all you've got? That's pathetic!" Lion-O taunts as he pretends to look bored.

Mumm-ra roars before charging again, catching the blade of the Sword of Plun-darr on the blade of the Sword of Omens, creating a loud screeching noise. We all cover our ears as Lion-O is forced to his knees, simply because Mumm-ra is pushing him and holding him down by the throat.

I unsheathe my staff and run at the mummy as the young lion starts choking.

I quickly hit Mumm-ra around the head, which makes him roar with rage. He lets go of Lion-O, then turns on me. I'm slammed into the wall as the ancient devil priest raises the Sword of Plun-darr.

"Your life may have been long, but you have _never _learned! Farewell, she-cat!" he shouts, but he suddenly stops and backs off. That's when I see the blade of the Sword of Omens which had been rammed through his chest.

He chuckles before turning back to my husband as he pulls the Sword from his chest and throws it on the floor.

"A mortal wound such as that will not kill me, you fool!" he bellows as the young lion races to retrieve the Sword before a large ball of pure energy forms in the devil priest's hand. Lion-O raises the Sword of Omens, mere seconds before Mumm-ra throws the energy ball at him.

The second it hits the blade of the Sword, it explodes, engulfing the whole room in smoke

I'm thrown back as the sound of an explosion rings in my ears. I hear Lion-O's scream of pain, and then nothing as the room goes silent. When the smoke clears, I can see Lion-O lying limply on the floor, sprawled out at the bottom of the wall. Mumm-ra is also lying on the floor on the other side of the room. I run up to Lion-O as the other Thundercats start to come round.

"Lion-O? Lion-O, can you hear me?" I ask as I gently shake his shoulder. His eyes slowly open as he groans and stands up. He rubs his head before saying "Oh, god...that hurt!"

We look over at Mumm-ra as he gets up. The others get up as Lion-O retrieves the Sword of Omens. He walks towards the ancient devil priest as he growls viciously, starting with a low sound that is barely audible then opening his mouth and letting loose a hellish roar that reverberates around the room as he charges. Mumm-ra realizes what he's doing, and rushes to defend himself.

"This is going to end, Mumm-ra," Lion-O snarls as they clash "And if it's going to end with bloodshed, it won't be mine!"

"Threatening to kill me, now? Oh, how quaint! It's petty, really."

"Says you who won't give up on anything even though you know that you'll always lose!"

I can do nothing but watch in horror as they fight. They're both covered in cuts, scrapes and bruises, but they keep going, pretty much at each other's throats.

Howether, Mumm-ra suddenly throws Lion-O to the side before pointing at him, sending a bright red beam at him, which incapacitates the young lion.

"I...I can't...can't move!" he cries as he struggles against the beam, but he can't do anything.

I look at Tygra before saying _"Tygra, you and the others take him from the sides. I'll take him from behind," _in Thunderian.

I then look at Lion-O as I say _"Lion-O, do what I tell you when I tell you, ok?"_

"_Ok! Just get me the fuck out of here!"_

"_Ok! Jeez, relax! When we distract Mumm-ra, you break out of the beam then send him back to his pyramid."_

Then, we make our move. I run behind the ancient devil priest and jump on his back, making him stop attacking Lion-O, who tackles Mumm-ra once escaping. The mummy transforms back to his normal form then turns to run, but I can hear someone choking.

I turn around, and I can see that Lion-O has Mumm-ra in a choke hold, lifting him clean off of the floor.

"Lion-O! Don't!" I shout as I get up.

"Why? The bastard was going to kill you! He _deserves _to die_!_"

"Lion-O! You're not thinking straight!"

"I don't care! He still was about to kill you! HE NEEDS TO _PAY_!"

"Snap out of it! That's not what a Thundercat would say!"

The lion's grip tightens on the mummy's throat as he presses him against a wall, his claws tearing gouges in the devil priest's flesh.

"L...Lion-O...h...have mercy...on me!" Mumm-ra pleads as frothy saliva starts to fill and drip from his mouth.

"I'm not the type of person who takes mercy on an enemy! That's not who I am!" Lion-O snarls, his face showing his intense wrath "And I won't rest until you're long dead!"

"Please! You're...You're not...not like me..."

"I don't care!"

Lion-O raises the Sword of Omens for the killing blow, but I don't give him the chance. I run forward and throw my arm out as my hand curls into a fist, punching Lion-O around the face. The lion groans in pain and drops Mumm-ra as he holds his face in his hands, cursing in Thunderian.

Mumm-ra quickly grabs the Sword of Plun-darr then high-tails it out of the window, flying off to his pyramid.

"I'm sorry Lion-O. He might be our deadliest enemy, but what gives you the authorization to kill him?" I say as the young lion looks at me.

"Why the fuck did you defend him? After all he's done! After he tried to kill me...after he tried to kill _you_, you still _save _him? Why didn't you let me kill that inconsiderate, fucking _bastard_? All the years that he's tried to get shot of us, you won't let me end the battle?"

"Lion-O, if you'd have killed Mumm-ra, it'd make you no better than him! He was right; you _aren't _like him!"

"Still..."

"Lion-O, listen to me! If you'd have been to kill him, you'd be turning your back on the Code of Thundera..."

"Screw the damned Code! If Mumm-ra comes back, that little fucker will _pay _for what he did to us!"

Snarf passes me a bucket of ice-cold water, which I throw over Lion-O. He splutters as he says "Fuck...I don't know what came over me..."

"I noticed."

"All I felt was an extremely protective surge, and Mumm-ra seemed like a massive threat all of a sudden. I just had to get rid of him, and killing him seemed like the only possible way...I don't know why, but I thought that I had to kill him."

Pumyra coughs awkwardly before saying "It's natural. Especially considering that you've gone into heat."

"Wait..._what?_"

"Didn't you realize? The reason why you've been getting aggressive lately is because you've gone into heat."

"Oh...that's what my father warned me would be happening...Woah, wait a minute! How the bloody hell can you tell?"

"You've got to be kidding me! For a start, your scent is more pungent, you keep eyeing up all the females that you see...especially Cheetara...and even you said yourself that you wondered why your sheets were soaked when you woke up."

"Oh..."

"As I said, it's completely normal."

Lion-O groans before walking out of the door. "I'm taking a shower." I hear him say as he walks off.

Pumyra turns to me as she says "Cheetara, you do know that with both you and Lion-O being in heat, he's gonna want to..."

"I know. I had a fiancé 10 years back, and he was a monster when he went into heat. I'm glad to have got shot of him." I say as I sigh. I can remember the day he died like it was yesterday. He tried to steal the Sword of Omens when he was absolutely pissed because he wanted to be Lord of the Thundercats; he was gunned down.

Lion-O has always been easy to handle. I mean, sure, he hits on me and flirts, but he isn't anywhere near as bad as Gepardi was. He'd rape me when I'd say no, and he sometimes beat me.

"Right. So, what're we going to do about the fact that Lion-O just tried to kill Mumm-ra?" Snarf asks as he sits up on his tail "Not that I'm complaining..."

"I don't know. I think I'm going to go and talk to him." I say as I stand up.

"You could try, but I doubt that he'll listen to you. He's been getting mood swings recently, and he's the type of person to lose his temper quickly."

"Well, it's worth a try." I say, then walk out of the Council Chamber, down the corridor then up the grand staircase towards mine and Lion-O's room.

I open the door as I say "Lion-O, are you..." and I unknowingly walk in on my husband, who is stark naked.

"SHIT! Cheetara, you _do _know that you could, y'know, _knock?_" he says as he hastily pulls his towel around his waist, even though I've already seen pretty much _everything_.

"Hey, I need to talk to you." I say as I sit down next to him "What's going on with you at the moment? You've never been this way before. You're usually the really laid-back type. Where's the lion that once was like that? He seems to have been put away and replaced by a completely different one, who is nervous yet reckless at the same time. Where's the old Lion-O gone?"

My husband sighs before saying "I don't know. Ever since I was possessed by Satos, everything about me has changed; my personality, my behaviour. What if I can't get it back? I can barely sleep at night because I'm scared for the future. If we have cubs, will this planet be a safe place for their upbringing? I mean, there's the constant threat from Mumm-ra, the Mutants, the Lunataks, and even those Ancient Egyptian gods are extremely powerful. We'd be risking their safety."

"Lion-O, what proves that we'd be able to protect them is the way you behaved today."

"But even Pumyra said that that was just because I'm in heat. She even said that my actions were because if a Thunderian male is in heat, the presence of a female who is also in heat can drive him crazy."

"Either way, no matter who you are inside, I'll always love you for who you are, not just because you're my Lord and King, but because you're my soulmate."

Lion-O takes me in his arms and presses his lips against mine in a scorching kiss as he pushes his tongue into my mouth. I bury my fingers into my mane, caressing his body as I press him down on the bed. He growls deep in his throat as he wraps one arm around my back and holds my head down with his other hand.

"Cheetara...Darìonae t'yull ca'rrn... Darìonae t'yull ca'rrn!" he growls in Thunderian as we part for air, a trail of saliva hanging from my lips as I sit up.

"Darìonae t'yull ca'rrn y damiyda, Lyjon-Ø." I say as he sits up.

"Right, I'm off for my shower. Suppose I'll see you in a few minutes, then." he says as he slinks into the bathroom. I lie on my back on the bed and close my eyes, dreamily breathing in the scent of my husband's fur on the bed. He's moulting, which is unnatural for this time of year. _Must just be the stress he's going through _I think to myself as I curl up on the bed. I'm unaware of how long I'm lying there, so I'm caught by surprise when Lion-O sits down on the bed next to me, fully dressed.

"Well, you coming to have some dinner? Snarf's cooked roast meatfruit with all of the trimmings." He says as I sit up.

"I wouldn't miss it at all." I say as I smile, and I take my husband's hand, and we walk out of the door towards the dining room.

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**Now that Mumm-ra has been taught a lesson on Lion-O's powers, he has to think carefully on what to do. A possible solution that he thinks of is to kidnap their first-born cub shortly after they eventually have one and to raise them as a killing machine; the perfect killing machine to assassinate the King of New Thundera. Panthro finds himself falling for Marcia, but when the young snow leopardess' so-called 'boyfriend' makes an unwelcome appearance at Cats' Lair, shit starts to get serious. Will Panthro be able to protect his new love, or will **__**Thy'larr get his 'girlfriend' back into their abusive relationship?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	11. Chapter 10: All Of Me

_**A/N: I regret NOTHING! If you are squeamish or sensitive, **__**DO NOT READ**__**! One scene in particular is HEAVILY edited from what I have written.**_

_**This is my first lemon, so BE NICE! :( **__**YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**_

_**Suggestions for improvements are appreciated, so leave criticisms in the comments or review if you feel that you need to. :P **_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, adult themes **__**(!LEMON!)**__** and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Saturday 23**__**rd**__** May 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Wednesday 27**__**th**__** May 2015**_

_**Song/s: All Of Me by John Legend**_

Chapter 10: All Of Me

"Lion-O, wake up!"

I lazily open my eyes and yawn. I can see Cheetara sitting up on her side of the bed, her arms behind her back.

"Happy Valentine's Day." she says as she passes me a present and a card. She leans over and passionately kisses me on the lips as I open one of the drawers on my bedside table and pull out my wife's presents.

"Happy...Valentine's Day...and...Happy...Birthday..." I gasp as we break for air. She looks down at the poshly wrapped boxes and card in her hand, then proceeds to open the first one.

When she sees the present, she gasps.

"Oh...Lion-O...It's beautiful!" she whispers as she runs the silver chain over her hand before looking at the locket on the end of it.

"I had it made especially for you, my love." I say as I pull her in for a tight hug "Now, with the second present, I hope I got the right one..."

She starts to open the second one, and when she sees what I've got her, she says "You got me the right one. How did you know that this is my favourite perfume?"

I laugh before saying "I didn't know. When I was in the shop, I asked which one you bought the most, so I bought that one."

"You gonna open yours?" she asks as I sit up.

I pick up the present. It's rather heavy, and it rattles slightly. It feels cold.

I start to open the wrapping paper, and a large, heavy hunting knife falls into my lap.

"Jeez! That's massive!" I say as I pick it up. It's got to be at least 20 inches long, maybe even longer. I unsheathe it and study the blade, which is engraved with traditional images from some long-ago country.

"Do you like it?" Cheetara asks as I slip the 'knife' back into its sheath.

"You've got to be _kidding _me! I _love _it!"

"Uhhh...you might want to brush your teeth...It smells like something crawled into your mouth and died in there." she says as we get up.

I laugh before saying "I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case!"

I trudge into the bathroom and look at my reflection in the mirror as I squeeze some toothpaste onto my toothbrush. I scrub at my teeth until the foam fills my mouth, then spit into the sink.

When I walk back into the bedroom and stop when I see Cheetara getting into her uniform.

"I've got to train the ThunderGuard troops today," I say as I walk towards her, making her jump "So I won't be around from one to about five in the afternoon. But, I'll only be doing an hour and when I get back, I'll be cooking dinner for the two of us."

I slip my pyjama bottoms off before getting my uniform on.

"I might come and watch you. I've got nothing else to do." Cheetara says as she stands up.

I stand up and connect the sheath of my hunting knife to my belt before walking out of the door. I can smell the sweet scent of cooking candyfruit, making my mouth water.

"I wonder what Snarf's cooking. It smells delicious." Cheetara says as we link arms.

"I guess that we'll find out when we get downstairs." I say as we walk down the staircase and towards the dining room.

The doors open, and as we walk in, I see that Snarf is starting to hand out candyfruit crepes with strawberries.

"Hey, you two lovebirds. Finally came down for some breakfast, then?"

Cheetara laughs as we sit in our seats before saying "Yeah. Anyway, what's on today's agenda? Hope that there's nothing too important. I was going to watch Lion-O train the ThunderGuard troops."

"No. There's nothing important planned, and as far as I'm aware of, Lion-O said that he was going to cook dinner for you both. As for the rest of us, I'll be sending Snarfer to Third Earth to get pizzas." Snarf says as he puts a plate in front of me.

I sniff slightly before saying "As for the whole training the ThunderGuard troops, it'll be _fun_! They're all getting a lot stronger. It's armed combat training at the moment."

**...**

"Now, this is one of the trickier parts of the training course. If you find yourself up against an enemy, or you're ambushed, it's better to have a weapon that will get the dirty work over quickly, as opposed to having a weapon that is so useless or weak that you get your face kicked in and your arse handed to you prime side on a silver plate.

"Personally, I prefer fighting with swords and shields. Ever since I can remember, my father always used to train me and my brother Leo to fight with swords, even though I recently decided to try archery, but it was an absolute disaster. I won't hesitate to train you with all sorts of weapons, but I prefer to stick to ones that I'm familiar with. But before you begin, there's something that you need to know," I say as I slowly walk back and forwards in front of the young teenagers; most are about 15, some are 16, and a small handful are 17 "The majority of you believe, subconsciously, that carrying a sword that weighs nearly twelve kilos up a ladder is a piece of cake. Well, this might just change your mind."

I stop before a young lijaguepard then say "What's your name, boy?"

"Ranijigorr, sire."

"How does this feel?" I ask as I take the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield. It automatically springs to life upon my touch, growing to its full length, so I put it in Ranijigorr's open hands.

"_By Jaga! _I can barely hold it, sir! It's so heavy!" he gasps as the Sword's weight takes him by surprise.

I take the Sword from him and wait for it to return back to its dagger size before slipping it back into the Claw Shield as I say "The Sword of Omens weighs approximately fifteen and a half kilos; just imagine hauling up a rope, or a ladder."

Ranijigorr steps back in line as I walk to the large crates at the front of the troops and take out one of the metre long swords, the blade of which had been blunted. "You'll be training with these. They've been wrapped with a special type of material to make them blunt enough to leave marks, but not to severely injure your sparring partner." I say as I turn around and walk towards them before getting them started off.

I look up and see Cheetara walking towards me as I watch over the troops.

"There's my favourite cat." she says as I hug her tightly.

I passionately kiss her as I run my fingers through her thick mane. She purrs softly as we break from the kiss.

I turn around, and see that a few of them have stooped what they're doing and are staring at us.

"Did I say that you could stop?" I ask in mock anger. They quickly get back to what they were doing, so I turn back to my wife as I say "There's three hours left, but I'll be coming home early."

"So, what's for dinner?"

"That's for me to know and for you to for you to find out later. Plus, there's an extra surprise for you later." I say, and then I get back to work.

**...**

"Lion-O, who's that?"

"I don't know, Snarf."

"It's a Liger! He's got white fur with red-ish orange stripes..."

"It's Thy'larr!"

"Who's Thy'larr?"

"The one who raped and attacked Marcia."

"The bastard! He sure-as hell has nerves to come here! But how does he know that Marcia is here?"

We watch as the liger runs up the steps of the Lair, throwing the guards to the side like ragdolls. He bursts through the door and growls upon seeing me.

"Where is she? Where's Marcia? Tell me, God damnit!" he demands, grabbing me by my shirt.

I growl threateningly as I feel my ears flattening against my head slightly.

I dig my claws into his hands, making him drop me to the floor as ThunderGuard troops flood into the room, incapacitating him within seconds.

"Thy'larr, you are under arrest on suspicion of rape, abuse, and attempted murder. Anything you say may be used against you when you go on trial before me and the High Thunderian Council on Wednesday the first of December this year. And if you threaten me, my wife, or any of my friends, I have the power to have you executed without any prior notice!" I snarl as he is carried out of the door.

"You can't do this, you...you...you mwanaharamu mwana wa _BITCH!_" he screams in Thunderian as he is dragged towards the prison "You can't take Marcia away from me, Lion-O! I'll come back, and when I do, I'll have my revenge, you fucking bastard!"

"That's _it_! Make sure that he's punished severely!" I snarl as the liger gives me a rude gesture.

He's escorted away as I turn to Snarf. "Speaking of which, where is Marcia?"

"Panthro said he wanted to 'show her something', but I don't think he meant in _that _way. I noticed that they've been falling for each other for the past month."

I laugh slightly before walking towards the kitchen. "I wouldn't be surprised if Panthro ends up suffering from Cat-scratch Fever."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I stand under the hot spray of the shower as I rinse the soapy suds from my body and mane. Lion-O told me to be ready by seven in the evening, and it's nearly quarter to already. I switch the shower off before wrapping my towels around me. I walk into the bedroom and dry myself off before getting into the red dress that I wore to Snarf Egbert's wedding anniversary.

I slip on a pair of my high heels before brushing my mane. I spray some of my new perfume onto my neck before putting on the special locket. As I walk out of mine and Lion-O's bedroom, the scent of cooking salmon is in the air, making my mouth water. I walk down the stairs, which have been entwined with red silk and roses. As I walk towards the dining room, I notice that there are vases of roses and candles dotted everywhere.

The second I enter the dining room, I notice that everything has been elaborately decorated for Valentine's Day. I can see Lion-O standing in front of the fireplace. He's wearing the same suit that he wore on our wedding day. Even though he isn't facing me, he says "You're just in time, ma Chérie_._"

"Just when did you learn to speak French?" I say teasingly as he takes a sip from a glass of whiskey. He's not drank any alcohol since our wedding, which now seems like years ago, despite only being nearly a month and a half ago.

He turns to face me as he says "I never took any lessons. It comes naturally. It's like a third language, even though I only know the basics."

He hurries to take me to a seat at the dining table, which has been scattered with rose petals. He kisses my hand then takes one of the chairs and waits for me to sit down before pushing the chair back to the table.

"Merci boucoup, mon bien Monsieur. Quel est pour notre dîner, mon roi?" I say, making Lion-O give me a blank look.

"I thought you said you knew how to speak French." I say, which earns me a sour expression from my husband.

"I'm not exactly fluent, y'know!" he says bitterly, but he grins cheekily at me.

"What I said _was _'Thank you very much, my good sir. What is for our dinner, my king?'"

"Ah, you just wait and see!"

He walks into the kitchen, and comes back into the dining room, carrying two smart crystal bowls of prawn cocktail in one hand, and two plates of pâté.

"There's a choice; prawn cocktail or goose liver pâté." he says as he puts one of each in front of me. We start eating, and Lion-O takes the bottle of champagne from the ice bucket then pops the cork before pouring some into our glasses.

I look up from my empty bowl as Lion-O gets up and takes the empty bowls and plates back into the kitchen.

I sit back and fiddle with the locket on my necklace, staring into nothing.

I barely even notice when my husband walks back into the dining room, carrying two fancy silver plates.

He coughs, making me jump slightly. As the young lion puts the silver plates down on the table and takes off the lids, showing what he's been doing.

"The finest oak smoked salmon fillets in white wine sauce with wild mushrooms and rice." he says proudly, because he knows that he's not usually the best at cooking most of the time.

"It tastes bloody lovely!" I say as I take a mouthful of the salmon.

"I'm glad you like it. There's still raspberry and lemon sorbet followed by lemon meringue pie to come yet."

**...**

"So, have you enjoyed tonight, my love?" I look up at Lion-O as he pours me another glass of champagne. His eyes sparkle in the candlelight like polished amber.

"This has been the best Valentine's Day ever. I can't believe that you cooked the dinner yourself. Even though you still do have a bit of flour on your face." I say as I reach across the table. I wipe the white powder from his furry cheek as he looks deep into my eyes.

He wraps his hand around the back of my neck before pulling me out of my seat and onto his lap. He presses his lips against mine, audibly growling and purring as he passionately kisses me.

I slip my hands around his neck then undo his tie as he runs his fingers through my mane. I can feel his wedding ring getting tangled in my mane.

"And tonight isn't finished just yet." Lion-O whispers in my ear, his hot breath brushing against my skin. I giggle like a little girl with anticipation as he gets up.

We take our glasses champagne, and I let him lead me through the corridor, into the entrance hall and out of the front door into the garden. We walk down the path, which is surrounded by wild roses and orchids.

"There's something extra special for you, Cheetara. Seeing as it's also your birthday." Lion-O says as he covers my eyes with a length of silk.

We stop, and I hear the strike of a match, then I feel Lion-O slip his muscular arms around my chest as he whispers in my ear "Ok. Only open your eyes exactly when I tell you to."

He unties the silk from my eyes then says "Ok. Open your eyes." I open my eyes, and see Lion-O standing beside the other Thundercats, who are crowded around a large triple tier cake which is adorned with rose petals and spun sugar.

"Happy Birthday!" they all say in unison.

I can feel myself welling up.

"Oh...great Jaga, guys! All this for me?" I say as I look around myself at the area; there are candles in jars hanging around the trees, and the gazebo is entwined with roses and a bunch of the rare blue Thunderian orchids. Lion-O takes my hands then pulls me towards the gazebo, and we take our seats as they start giving me their presents.

An owl hoots from somewhere in the distance, making me jump slightly. I shiver in the chilly February evening air, my fur standing on end. Lion-O takes off his jacket and slips it onto me, which makes me feel warmer instantly. I snuggle into his chest for warmth, making him purr contently. He wraps his right arm around my shoulder and holds me close to him, nuzzling my mane with his chin.

"I've got to go for a second," Lion-O says as he kisses me on my right cheek "Important business, as usual."

He gets up then hastily walks back to Cats' Lair, making me laugh slightly as he stumbles and nearly falls over. He disappears inside, and I continue talking with the others.

"What did Lion-O cook for you, Cheetara?" Snarf asks, sounding interested.

"For the starter, he made prawn cocktails and pâté for a selection, and for the main course he cooked smoked salmon fillets in white wine sauce with wild mushrooms and rice, followed by lemon meringue pie."

"I'm quite surprised at that. He usually hates being in the kitchen for ages cooking."

"That seems to have changed."

I take a sip from my glass of champagne as I sit up. "What time is it?" Wilykit yawns, rubbing her eyes.

"It's nearly midnight. We'd all better be off to bed." Lion-O says as he walks towards us.

I get up and stretch before yawning deeply. The young lion takes my hand, and we all talk feverishly as we make our way back to Cats' Lair. When we're inside, I say to Snarf "Well? Did you like your pizzas?"

The red and yellow cat purrs before saying "Sneyarf, well, I could have done better, but it was _ok._"

I laugh slightly, then me and Lion-O walk off towards our room. The young lion covers my eyes then pushes the door open. I can smell the aromatic scents of candles, and I know that there's something special set up.

He takes his hands from my eyes before saying "Open your eyes."

I open my eyes, and gasp.

The room has been decorated beautifully. The room is dimmed, but there are loads of candles and a fire in the grate. The bed is sprinkled with rose petals.

"This is where I disappeared to."

"I kinda guessed." I say as he pulls me down onto the bed. I push him down on the bed and pin him down.

The young lion passionately kisses me as I run my fingers through his mane. But, he pushes me off and rolls over.

I watch Lion-O as he pulls his shirt off. His body is covered in thick muscle, trained and toned to perfection. He sees me looking, and gives me a feral grin, showing his fangs. His eyes gleam as my gaze catches his. He pulls on his pyjama top and bottoms as I get changed into my nightdress then slip under the blankets.

He joins me then says "I'm glad that you've enjoyed your birthday, Cheetara." I kiss him on the lips before biting into his neck. He seems uncomfortable and tries to push me off, but I don't let him.

He successfully pushes me off of him before turning off the light, then he closes his eyes; he's asleep within minutes, but I lie awake. I sigh as I rest my head on his chest. He's ever so handsome. His gentle purring combined with his soft heartbeat is so soothing. I close my eyes then nuzzle his fur with my cheek.

He grunts in his sleep before rolling over and taking me in his arms. His fur smells of the aromatic scent of sandalwood, and his mane is sleek and shiny. I close my eyes and try to get some sleep, but he rolls onto his back, and then starts snoring.

I look at Lion-O as he lies next to me, purring gently in his sleep. I can't help but run my fingers over his heavily muscled body and across his face. I'm lucky in the fact that my husband is extremely attractive.

Lion-O stirs and rolls over to face me. He rubs his eyes, half asleep, then he yaws sleepily. "My lord," I purr as I wrap my arm around the back of his neck "Did I wake you?"

Lion-O smiles as he says "Yes, you did. But you're a pleasure to wake up next to, my love." We embrace, kissing each other passionately. My heart flutters with love for the young lion as he presses me close to his chest as he impatiently pulls my nightdress off. Moments later, I find myself naked in his arms, before he starts to undress himself.

Lion-O rolls over, making me shriek with laughter as he peppers my neck with love bites. "Lion-O! Stop it!" I laugh, but he ignores me and nibbles my earlobe. "I love you." he whispers softly before sitting up.

"LION-O! Stop it! _That tickles_!" I squeal as the lion runs his hot tongue up the sole of my foot. He gives me a devilish chuckle as he purrs "I was just...getting started..."

I can't help but shudder with anticipation at the tone of his voice. He runs his hands up my legs, leaving warm, sticky saliva on my fur. I try to sit up, but Lion-O tackles me back down onto the bed. He sits back on his heels and slowly slips his pyjama bottoms and underwear off. My heart pounds in my chest as he leans forward and whispers into my ear. "I love you so much, y'know."

"I love you too."

Before he can move, I lick the side of his face, making his fur wet and shiny with saliva.

"That wasn't fair. I wasn't...ready." Lion-O says as he sits back up again. I study his body as he sits on his knees above me, looking down at me with his bright gingery orange eyes. He leans forwards again, but I grab him and pull him down on top of me and suck at the skin on his neck, peppering him with love bites. "Lion-O," I breathe in his ear "Stop teasing me!"

He chuckles again then says "Bit eager, eh?" in a voice that makes me want to melt.

My heart starts pounding in my chest again as he sits up. My claws involuntarily come forth and dig into the mattress as I growl deep in my throat. Lion-O starts growling then slips his arm under the hollow of my back as he kisses me. A series of low moans and gasps escape from my throat as the young lion's abdomen repeatedly rubs against mine. I allow my body to relax, but my husband steps it up a notch. He growls harder as his grip on me tightens. I can feel the sweat trickling down my forehead as Lion-O moans deeply then sits up again, still heavily panting.

He lies down on his side of the bed and rolls over, taking me with him. He passionately kisses me as I snuggle into his chest, pushing his tongue into my mouth as he runs his fingers through my mane.

"I hope you've enjoyed today, Cheetara," he says as he yawns deeply "I know for sure that I have!" He gives me a sly wink, making me laugh. He rolls over onto his side then says "Well, we'd better get some sleep."

I cuddle up to him and find myself slowly falling asleep as the fatigue takes me...

I open my eyes. My hips are aching and my mane is tangled. I try to roll out of Lion-O's arms, but he pulls me back towards him in his sleep, purring deeply.

"Lion-O," I say as I struggle to get away from him again "Let me go!"

"No...Mum, go away! C'mon mum, five more minutes! _I don't wanna get up yet_!" he moans in his sleep as he rolls over and snuggles into the blankets, unknowingly crushing me.

"L...Lion-O! Lion-O, get off of me!" I groan as he hugs me tighter. I try to unpick his arms from around my chest and abdomen, which works. I get out of bed, and the cold floor feels soothing on my hot feet. I sneak into the bathroom and turn on the taps before pouring some bath oils into the water. As I walk back in to the bedroom to get my towels, Lion-O stirs and yawns, a lazy roar escaping his throat.

"So, you've _finally _woke up, then?" I say as I grab my towel from the radiator.

"Oh, god! What a night last night! I don't know if you're as sore as I am, but I've got cramp all down my back."

"I'm not surprised!" I laugh, then I walk back into the bathroom and sink into the bath after turning off the taps. The warm water smells heavenly, so I lie back and let my worries soak away.

"I hope that you aren't going to be ages. I've gotta take a shower before the meeting with the Thunderian Council about the current threat of an invasion from Plun-darr." I hear Lion-O call from inside the bedroom.

"I won't be long!" I shout back in a sing-song voice as I rub some shampoo into my mane.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Good morning, Gentlemen. Now, I understand that we are at threat of an invasion from Plun-darr." I say as I sit in my seat at my desk and look at the lion, tiger, ocelot and the litah.

"Yes, sir. We've been receiving Plun-darrian codes and transmissions for the past month, but no-one can decipher them. We've tried to get the Mutant prisoner to tell us what they mean, but there's been no such luck yet. He's unwilling to help, and refuses to talk to anyone but you."

"Mutant prisoner! That is a problem. I haven't got anything planned today, so we might be able to go to the prison." I say as I look through the files that the elderly lion had given me "Tell me, Lysander, what species is the Mutant?"

"It...Errm...He seems to be a wolf. He calls himself 'Sebastian', and he was caught spying on the Thunderian Army a few days ago."

"And why wasn't I notified about any of this?" I say, a slight growl forming deep in my throat.

The tiger quickly says "We didn't want anything to jeopardize the royal wedding, or put you and the other Thundercats in a state of panic after."

I growl slightly before saying "And so, I take it that the whole planet is in danger?"

"Yes, my king."

"SHIT! Anyway, do we know whether they want war or not? Or if the codes and transmissions hostile, or passive?"

"Not yet, Lion-O, my Lord."

"Fuck! We'd better find out quickly. Is the army prepared for battle if it comes to it?"

"Yes. They've all been notified and are all waiting for your command."

"And the radars have detected a large platoon of Plun-darrian ships headed to New Thundera."

"_WHAT?_" I roar as I stand up. The door opens and the two ThunderGuard members guarding the doors rush in.

"Is everything ok, sire?"

"There's no danger, is there?"

I sigh before saying "No. Everything's fine. Go back to your posts!"

I stand up and try to keep cool as I say "A...A whole _platoon _of Plun-darrian ships? How many are there?"

"Numbers aren't confirmed, but there are currently two hundred and fifty ships, maybe more."

"_Why the fuck does this always __**only **__ever happen to me?"_ I roar in Thunderian, then I say "Sorry for that! T...Two hundred and..._Two hundred and fifty ships_?"

"I'm afraid so, my king."

"Ok. Get me down to the prison ASAP! I have to talk to Sebastian right away!"

**...**

"Lysander told me that you can speak Plun-darrian. He also told me that you won't answer to anyone but me. Why is that, Sebastian?"

"You may be a cat, and I am a dog. You may be the leader of my people's enemies, but I was sent here to spy on your peoples military advancements. I wasn't caught; I surrendered myself over to the authorities. You are a truly noble man. My people don't have any such code as the Code of Thundera, yet your world is perfect with it influencing and guiding your lifestyles. I told them that I will only answer to and take orders from you. Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera. It is an honour to meet you in person."

I growl viciously before snapping "You didn't answer my question! _Why will you only answer to me?_"

"I know that I can trust you. My people say that Thunderians are evil and aren't to be trusted, but I believe otherwise after seeing the kind-hearted nature of your people."

I slap the files down in front of the wolf mutant as I snap "What do these mean?"

Sebastian looks at me then says "I can't tell you with the other cats listening."

"How do...how do you know that they're monitoring us?"

Sebastian's ears twitch slightly, then he says "I can detect things that cats cannot."

I sigh deeply.

_You can't do this! What would the others say if you bought a Mutant into Cats' lair? _I think to myself, then I go against my better judgement.

"You can come to Cats' Lair, but only for tonight. Any funny business, and you're out! You got that?"

"Yes Lion-O. As you say."

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**A battle is a possible outcome when the platoon of Plun-darrian ships reaches New Thundera, led by the fearsome Rataro. When Cheetara finds out about their plot to ruthlessly execute Lion-O in front of the other Thundercats, her life is put at risk...and so is another. Will Lion-O and his friends be able to fight off the attacking forces, or will the lord of the Thundercats take revenge?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	12. Chapter 11: 21 Guns

_**A/N: This chapter contains some locations that I made up myself. Yet again, this is a chapter that jumps around quite a fair bit. Howether, as usual, I hope that you enjoy this new chapter.**_

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, adult themes, and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Wednesday 27**__**th**__** May 2015 **_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Friday 29**__**th**__** May 2015**_

_**Song/s: 21 Guns by Green Day**_

Chapter 11: 21 Guns

"YOU DID _WHAT?_"

I look up at Cheetara as I say "I had no choice. He won't speak to anyone but me, and he refused to say anything when I interrogated him, so I chose to bring him here. It's only for one night, so..."

"So _what? _How do you know that we can trust him? Plun-darrians are our sworn enemies! He could be playing a game. You remember the incident with Pumm-ra, who turned out to be Mumm-ra! How do you know that the...wolf...isn't spying on us?"

I look at Sebastian. He crosses his arms over his chest and shrugs, grinning slightly. "It seems like your mate doesn't trust me. Perhaps if she could...get to know me better?" he says as his ears twitch slightly. Cheetara growls fiercely before saying "Don't count on it, mutant!"

Sebastian laughs again then says "I'm an ex-marine from the Plun-darrian army, but I hated going to war with other species', so I quit, but was forced into spying. I came here on a special mission, but I turned myself over. I told the guards at the prison that I will only answer to Lion-O because he's the Lord of the Thundercats. I wish to join your ranks and fight against the Plun-darrian forces."

"NEVER!"

I look at Cheetara again as I say "Cheetara, at least give the guy a chance to prove himself not evil."

"But we barely know him! He could kill us and we wouldn't know!"

"It's not as if he would drop poison in our drinks or food. At first, I turned the Sword of Omens on him, but it wouldn't let me harm him. If he truly had any evil intentions, the Sword would have warned me."

Snarf eyes the wolf up suspiciously before muttering under his breath.

"Either way, it's about time that I tell you about myself. As you already know, my name is Sebastian, and I'm one of the few remaining Wolfmen on Plun-darr. My mother died giving birth to me, just like with Lion-O's mother, because one of the pups got stuck when she was whelping, so my father married again. My stepmother absolutely hated me, so I ran away from home and joined the army when I was sixteen, and that's pretty much it."

"Right, I'll have Snarfer take you to your quarters." I say as I look out of the window. Sebastian follows the little red and yellow cat out of the door, and the second it closes...well...that's when the argument _really _starts.

"Reow, I don't trust him!"

"Snarf! That's not like you! He seems nice. He doesn't seem like the type of person who would commit mass homicide." Wilykit says as she leans forward in her chair.

"Sneyarf! Sneyarf! I know, but I've got that feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"You _always _have that feeling."

"I know, Lion-O, but this time it's serious!"

I look at Panthro as he stands up. "Lion-O, you may be the Lord of the Thundercats, but I say that you give this bloke a month. No more. Then he's out!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

_**A month later...**_

"Cheetara, are you ok?"

I look at Lion-O as he kneels down on the cold stone floor beside me, fully dressed in his uniform. He looks really worried. "I...I feel re..." I begin, but I'm cut off when I'm sick again.

"Not really. I feel really sick...I do every morning..." I gag, and then I start vomiting again.

"I'm really worried about you, Cheetara. You've been in here every morning for the past few weeks. You need to see Pumyra ASAP." Lion-O says, then he gently touches my arm. "You're absolutely freezing!" he says as I retch again. He takes his dressing gown from the back of the door before slipping it onto me as I shiver. "Maybe it's the thought of the approaching Plun-darrian forces. It's rather suspicious. There's been no news for weeks."

He patiently waits until I stop being sick, then pours a glass of water from the tap and hands it to me. I rinse my mouth out and spit the water out once I've stopped being sick, then Lion-O takes me in his massive arms. He carries me into the bedroom and sits on the bed with me on his lap. I nuzzle into his fur as he purrs. We sit there for five minutes in silence until I say "I've been putting on a little bit more weight recently, I've been getting cravings for weird food combinations, and I'm starting to get slightly fatter. Lion-O, what if I'm pregnant?"

Lion-O looks at me before saying "Cheetara, if you're pregnant, it'll make me the happiest man on New Thundera."

I smile happily then stand up and start to get myself ready. I pull on my leotard and boots and watch as Lion-O stalks out of the door, leaving the strong scent of male lion behind him.

If I am pregnant, it'll be a change. There haven't been any cubs running around the Lair since Lion-O and Leo were born 21 years ago.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Pumyra,"

The young puma looks up from her medical documents as I walk towards her.

"Hi Lion-O! How can I help you?"

"Could you do me a favour and test Cheetara for something?"

"Sure. Anything in particular?"

"Errm...Just a routine check-up. She's been feeling sick in the mornings."

"Sure, just make sure to come a little bit later on when I've..." she says, but she doesn't get the chance to finish because a member of the ThunderGuard comes running into the infirmary and salutes me.

"Lord Lion-O! Sir, Plun...Plun-darrian ships...approaching Cats' Lair!" he pants, trying to catch his breath.

"Great Jaga! Why haven't the warning alarms gone off?"

"There seems to be some sort of shield preventing any detection."

"Oh god! Get the ThunderGuard troops to their battle stations!"

"Yes sir!"

I run out of the door and down the corridor to the Control Room. I can see the other Thundercats frantically rushing around and preparing weapons.

"Any news?"

"The ships aren't very far away! There are only five minutes until they're here!"

I sit in the seat in front of the control panel and power up the telescreen; I can see the platoon moving as one on the horizon as they make their way towards us...

The screen cuts to static, and a familiar voice says "Well, well, well! It's so nice to see that you're thriving!"

"Rataro!" I snarl as the mutant rat appears on the screen.

"Yes, it's me! I dare you to face me, cub! Let's play a game of chicken!"

"Last time I fought you, I won! I'll win again!"

"I don't think so. You wouldn't be able to lay a single claw on us without getting your innards spewed across the grass!"

"Ha! Don't count on it! I've got over 500 surface-to-air missiles locked onto your ships. If you come anywhere within the vicinity of Cats' Lair, they will launch and tear your platoon to _shreds_!"

"We aren't planning on going anywhere near your precious litter box! We'll settle this in the Desert of Blood!"

"You're mad! No living creature can survive in the Desert of Blood! It's the driest and hottest place on New Thundera!"

"Precisely! Be there at high noon today, or I'll destroy Cats' Lair wipe you off the face of this planet!"

With that, he disappears.

I turn to Panthro as he says "We can't go there! The journey is too dangerous, and god knows what he'll do to you if you fight him."

"I'm not going to let him destroy the Lair!"

"Haven't you learned from when the Ancient Egyptian gods challenged you?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"So, you can't do this!"

"I've got to!" I snap, and I hear the door open before I hear Cheetara's voice say "What's going on?"

I turn to my wife as I say "Rataro has demanded that we go to the Desert of Blood, but you're staying here."

"I'm _not _staying here! I'm coming too, and you can't stop me!"

I chuckle slightly at my wife's tone of voice before saying "I'm not going to risk losing you!"

"Lion-O, you need all of the Thundercats, so I'm coming!"

"Right, if we're gonna do it, let's do it!"

"Thundercats, _HO!_"

**...**

I look at the scenery as we speed through the Desert of Blood. It got its name from the fact being that the rain that falls is rich in Copper Sulphate, which stains the sand a shade of crimson disturbingly similar to blood. The midday sun makes the sand look like a flowing liquid from the mineral rich salts that had formed on the ground.

"Reow! This isn't a good idea, Lion-O! You heard Rataro's warning. He'll kill you!"

I turn to Snarf as I say "He'll have a hard time trying, Snarf. Stop worrying! I'm not a cub anymore!"

He purrs before saying "I know, but you'll always be little to faithful ol'Snarf."

We come to a stop before Rataro's battle ship, which is standing on the ground.

I jump out of the Thundertank and walk towards the mutant rat as he says "I guess that you managed to pull together enough bravery and courage to come here, then?"

"I'm no coward, if that's what you're implying!"

"We all know that you are a coward! Plus, you always let your pride get ahead of you!"

I growl then unsheathe the Sword of Omens as the other Thundercats jump out of the Thundertank.

"I have also come for the traitor who calls himself 'Sebastian'. The wolf-man who you have incarcerated in your prison." Rataro says as he draws his dual swords.

"What are you doing here, anyway? I thought I banished you to Plun-darr!"

"You did, but Lord Mumm-ra wanted someone to take over the position as general of the Plun-darrian army."

We circle each other, throwing threats back and forth.

"When I'm finished with you, I'll have a nice new rug to put in front of the fire!"

"Well, I guess that nobody's told you that rats are filthy vermin!"

Rataro's the first one to make a move; he lunges at me with his swords, but I dodge out of the way and bring the Sword of Omens down in a way that would sever his head, but he drops and rolls out of the way. I roar with rage and swing the Sword again, but the blades lock and are flung out of our hands, making the blade of the Sword of Omens sink deep into the mud.

I struggle to free it, but a sudden pain in my left leg makes me look down, right at the blade of one of Rataro's swords which is slowly forced through my left thigh.

Rataro cackles evilly as I drop to the ground, clutching the wound with my right hand.

Cheetara rushes to my side along with the other Thundercats and tries to stop the wound from bleeding so heavily, but it isn't working.

"My, how the mighty have fallen!" Rataro roars with laughter as I struggle to get up, blood gushing from the wound "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're nothing but a..."

He gets cut off by the sounds of a familiar engine. I look up and watch as the Thunderstrike flies low over the sands, then starts shooting at the ship.

"Who's flying that thing?" I hear Panthro shout, which is true because we're all here. I carefully study the outline of the person flying it.

"It's Sebastian!"

Bullets spatter the ground as the Thunderstrike lands on the ground. Sebastian opens the cockpit and runs over to us, brandishing a rifle. "C'mon! Get in!" he shouts as Pumyra and Tygra help me up "I can't hold them off for much longer!"

We run for the Thunderstrike as the wolf unleashes hell upon the mutants, who are returning the fire.

"Retreat! Retreat! Get back into the fucking ship!" I hear Rataro scream as I'm loaded onto the aircraft.

"Engines to full power. Throttle to max. Ready for takeoff!" Lynx-O says as he sits down in the pilot's seat. Pumyra wraps a bandage around my leg as she says "You're going to need stitches. The wound isn't too deep, so we don't need to be worried about any major surgery."

**...**

I sit up on the bed as Pumyra wraps a bandage around my leg.

"Ok, so, make sure that you keep the stitches clean and dry. If you want to take a shower, you'll have to cover them with Clingfilm or a clean plastic bag."

I stand up, but my leg hurts so badly. "Thanks, Pumyra." I say as I limp towards the door.

"Lion-O,"

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget about the fact being that Cheetara's coming to see me later on."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot...uh...thanks for reminding me. I'll remind her for you."

"No problem. You might want to get to the dining room. If you miss lunch, Snarf will be pissed."

I laugh slightly before saying "Yeah, I know what he's like. I swear, it's the old age!"

She laughs as I walk down the corridor towards the dining room. When I walk in, Snarf instantly starts making a massive fuss over me.

"Snarf, will you cut it out? Stop _babying _me!" I moan as he puts a plate of meatfruit sandwiches in front of me "I'm not a cub anymore so you don't have to treat me like a child!"

"Well, sometimes you act like a child more than a mature adult! You can't keep yourself outta trouble for five seconds! And yet you wonder why I still treat you like a cub?"

I groan before turning to Cheetara and saying "Don't forget about your appointment with Pumyra after lunch."

"Oh, I almost forgot! Well, I might as well go now." she says, then she gets up and walks out of the door.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Pumyra?"

"Come in."

I open the door of the infirmary then walk in. I see Pumyra sitting on one of the beds, sorting through some of the medical equipment. "I've come for the appointment."

"C'mon then. Take a seat and we'll begin." she says as she walks towards the back room. I follow her and anxiously perch on the edge of one of the chairs as she flicks through my medical documents.

"Anything out of the ordinary lately?"

"Well, I have been feeling really sick in the mornings, and I've been getting cravings for strange foods."

"Forgive me for asking this, but when were you last on?"

"I'm sorry..._what?_" I say as what she'd just said registers with me.

"When were you last on? Basically, when did you have your last period?"

"It was a little while ago, but they've always been irregular. I'd say about a month ago."

"That means that you're overdue?"

"Well, yeah."

She chuckles before saying "Oh, Cheetara...Cheetara, Cheetara, Cheetara. I'm surprised that you haven't realized yet!"

"What? What's going on?"

"You aren't aware that there's soon to be a new member of your family?"

"Wait..._what?_"

Pumyra chuckles again then says "Cheetara, you're pregnant."

The news makes my heart feel like it skips a beat. "I'm...I'm pregnant?" I ask, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Yeah. I'm surprised that you hadn't realized at all. I can't imagine how Lion-O's going to react to the news of becoming a father."

We stand up as I ask "How can you be so sure? I thought that there was a test that you had to do to be able to find out!"

"Cheetara, I'm a fully trained medical professional. Do you _really _think that I wouldn't know if you were carrying a cub? I know the signs of pregnancy like the back of my hand."

I walk towards the exit of her office as I say "How long will I be feeling sick in the morning for?"

"That lasts only through the first trimester, which is only a few months. Cheetara, you do know that there's a high chance that it'll be twins because of Lion-O being a twin."

I laugh slightly before saying "And if it is twins, I hope that they get on better together than Lion-O and Leo. Those two are constantly at each other's throats."

"That's the problem with having boys. They fight a lot of the time."

"Ha! Is that from experience?"

"Yeah. I had two brothers who were both 10 years younger than me, and they constantly fought with each other."

**...**

"I can't believe that we made him run off like that! The coward!"

"He calls himself a warlord, but he isn't!"

"Well, he definitely won't be coming back for a while!"

I watch Lion-O as he picks up his glass of red wine then stands up. "Here's to teaching Rataro a lesson! And, a special thanks to you, Sebastian, for pulling our asses out of the fire. You saved us."

Sebastian grins at Lion-O then says "I'm glad that you're all starting to trust me more. I know that my presence at first would have been unnerving, but I don't bite."

Lion-O takes a sip from his glass and when he sets it back down on the table, he notices that I haven't touched mine.

"Are you ok, Cheetara? I thought that you liked red wine."

"Yeah, I'm ok. It's just that I don't fancy it at the moment."

"I see. Either way, how was your appointment with Pumyra?" he asks in an excited, hopeful voice.

I gulp nervously as everyone turns to look at me. I can't tell them all at once; I wanted to tell Lion-O first. I know that he wants the news, but I can't tell him yet. I look at Pumyra, and she winks at me.

"It was ok. I...I just...I just have a bit of a stomach upset."

I didn't want to lie to him, but I had no choice. I can see the look of disappointment sweep across him as his face falls.

"Oh...ok..." he says as he looks down at his food. He starts eating, but not as quickly as he would...

As I try to sleep that night, I lie awake in bed. I roll onto my side and watch Lion-O as he sleeps peacefully. How can he sleep when he knows that there's risk of another attack? I mean, I know that Pumyra gave him some herbal medicine to help him sleep, but he used to be the one who would lie awake at night. I roll over, and subconsciously place my hand on my abdomen. I can't believe that I'm carrying Lion-O's cub. How can that one time on Valentine's Day have been enough to conceive a child? I sigh and roll back onto my back. Traditionally, cubs born into the Thunderian Royal Family are pure bloods, not hybrids. The last time there was a hybrid on the throne, she was a Tijagupardess called Aðalgerður, who was married to a mongrel called Aðalbjörn. She and her mate were shunned by society and overthrown, then executed.

I slip out of bed then pull on my dressing gown then pad down the stairs towards the kitchen. The door opens, and I jump back at the sight of Sebastian sitting on the counter. He looks up and says "Sorry I scared you. You still don't trust me, do you?"

"Maybe your luck is starting to turn around. Lion-O was right with what he said. Thanks for saving us."

"It's ok. Can't sleep?"

"No..."

"Me neither..." Sebastian says as he looks down, his ears drooping slightly as he takes a sip from a mug "I made some hot milk if you want some."

He passes me a mug, and I nervously sniff it, just incase he'd done something to it.

"It's just cinnamon and nutmeg. It's my father's secret recipe. It's really nice. Trust me."

I take a sip from the mug; it tastes absolutely delicious. It reminds me of what my mother used to make when I was younger.

I take another sip, then Sebastian says "When are you going to tell Lion-O that you're carrying his cub?"

"Wha...How do...how do you know that I'm pregnant?"

"Trust me. I know because of how you've been behaving recently."

I sigh, finish my milk then say "Right, I'm going back to bed. I'll see you in the morning, Sebastian."

I walk back out of the door then back towards mine and Lion-O's room and walk inside. Lion-O is still fast asleep, so I take off my dressing gown then slip back under the covers. I close my eyes and try to sleep, and after what seems like hours, the fatigue slowly takes over and I find myself falling asleep...

"**What are we going to do about it?"**

**Rataro turns around to face the parrot-like Mutant as he says "I'm going to let that wretched cub think that he's seen the last of us, then when he least expects it, we'll take them by surprise. I'll give Lion-O the chance to lick his wounds, then we'll take him!"**

**I seem to be observing the situation from a third person perspective. I'm still myself, but they seem to be taking no notice of me.**

**I watch as the mutant rat walks past me towards the door. I follow him through the corridor, towards what looks like a dungeon. **

"**Well, girl! Are you ready to tell us how to sneak into Cats' Lair?"**

**I look down in horror as a young Thunderian cub is picked up by the throat. "Please! I want my mummy! I want to go home!" the cub begs. She's sobbing, and her appearance is shabby. **

"**You're staying here, right where you belong, you little guttersnipe! Remember that I took you right from your mother's nose in the street. You answer to me! Now tell me, what is the way of sneaking into the Cats' Lair without being detected?"**

"**I've told you before! I don't know!"**

"**LIAR! TELL ME!"**

"**Please! I **_**really **_**don't know! Let me go home! **_**I WANT MY MUMMY!**_**"**

"**SHUT UP! If you don't tell me by sunrise tomorrow, I'll stab you in the stomach, take you out into the forest, and leave you for the wolves to eat!"**

"**NO!" **

"**It's your decision, girl!"**

**I can't help but growl as he walks out of the cell, leaving the little pumiger cub crying from fear. I follow Rataro back into the control room.**

"**General Rataro, how are we going to fulfil Lord Mumm-ra's command?"**

"**Easily, Elgar. When we have got into the Lair, we'll slaughter Lion-O in front of the other Thundercats."**

"**Any method in particular?"**

"**Why do you ask?"**

"**Just curious. That's all." **

"**Well, as far as brutal and agonizing methods go, I'll either disembowel him, or slit his throat."**

"**What if he manages to kill you first?"**

"**Lion-O would never do anything like that. His precious 'Code of Thundera' forbids any acts of murder or killing, act of defence or otherwise."**

**Ha! Pathetic!"**

"**I know!"**

I wake up like a shot. I sit bolt upright, panting. I look at Lion-O, who is still asleep next to me, despite having most of the blankets stolen from him.

"Lion-O. Lion-O, wake up!" I whisper as I shake his shoulders. He groans groggily then yawns as he stirs before saying "Ohhh...Great Jaga, Cheetara. Why did you wake me up at this ungodly time of night?"

"Lion-O, I've just had a terrible dream! It was horrible!" I say as he sits up. He takes me in his arms, pulls me close to him and tries to comfort me as I continue.

"Rataro isn't gone, Lion-O. He's just laying low for the time being because he's trying to find a way into Cats' Lair. He's kidnapped a pumiger cub and is forcing her to tell him the way to get in. He even said that when he gets in, he's gonna kill you in front of us..."

"I'll up...up the defences in the morning...warn everyone about it...leave me to sleep..." he yawns, then lies back down again.

I lie down, then I say "Lion-O, there's something really important that I need to tell you..."

He grunts as he rolls over and pulls me towards him, breathing in the scent of my mane as he hugs me. "What do you need to tell me?" he asks as he yawns deeply.

I sigh before rolling over to face him; he's looking at me with his beautiful deep gingery orange eyes.

"I...I'm...I'm pr..." I stutter, then I sigh deeply again before saying "Lion-O, I'm pregnant; you're going to be a father."

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**As the Thundercats struggle to rid New Thundera of Rataro, Lion-O must turn his back on the Code of Thundera to defeat him. Now that Cheetara is carrying his cub, he must protect her at all costs, which proves to be a harder task than he anticipated. But when Mumm-ra decides to step everything up a notch by kidnapping the Queen of New Thundera, Lion-O discovers that he has powers like he could never have imagined. Will he be able to save Cheetara from the tyrant's icy grip?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	13. Chapter 12: Angel With A Shotgun

_**Key:**_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, adult themes, and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Friday 29**__**th**__** May 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Wednesday 3**__**rd**__** June 2015**_

_**Song/s: Angel With A Shotgun by The Cab**_

Chapter 12: Angel With A Shotgun

"You...You're...You're pregnant? You're having a cub?"

"Yeah..."

I swiftly take my wife in my arms as I cry "Oh, Cheetara! That's wonderful news! But why did you say something different at dinner?"

Cheetara sighs before saying "I wanted to tell you first, which is why I lied about it at first."

"I see. Either way, I can't _believe_ this! I'm going to be a father...I'm going to be a father..." I say, then I look at the alarm clock; it's six-thirty in the morning.

"We'd better get up in a minute. The others will be up in a minute, and Snarf will be starting to cook breakfast..." she says as she sits up, then she rushes to the bathroom. I sit bolt upright and get out of bed then run to the bathroom and kneel down next to her.

"Bloody morning sickness! I'll be glad when it goes!" she groans as she heaves heavily. I rub her back to try to help her relax, but it doesn't seem to work that well.

"Lion-O...go and get some breakfast. I'll be...I'll be down when I'm done..." she says, so I stand up and start to walk out of the door.

"Only if you're sure."

"I'm sure!"

I walk out of the door and down to the dining room. As the door opens, I walk in and take my seat as Snarf says "Where's Cheetara? Surely she's coming down for some breakfast?"

"Yeah. She just wanted a lie-in. She'll be down a in a few minutes." I say as I take an apple from the fruit bowl and bite into the crisp, juicy flesh. Snarf puts a bowl of porridge in front of me. I start eating my breakfast, and when I'm half finished, the door opens and Cheetara walks in. She looks really pasty. As she takes her seat next to me, she looks at me.

"You ok?" I whisper as she takes a sip from her cup of coffee.

"Yeah...for now. I can't wait until the morning sickness stops."

I chuckle slightly, then raise my voice as I say "Me and Cheetara have got some big news."

Everyone turns to look at us as Cheetara says "I'm pregnant; we're going to be having a cub."

The room literally explodes with excitement as the others bombard us with congratulations and seemingly endless questions.

Annoyed with the Thunderkittens' endless dirty questions, I raise my voice again and say "I'm calling a Council Meeting after we finish breakfast. I've got some information concerning Rataro and his mutant platoon."

"Oh, god! That's not good news! It never is when the news concerns that no-good rodent!" Sebastian growls as he tears into a slab of raw beef.

"Sneyarf! Nothing's _ever _good when it involves _any_ mutant." Snarf purrs as he stares at the Wolfman out of the corners of his eyes.

We finish eating, and then we walk into the Council Chamber. As we sit in our seats, I say "What news I have is bad. Cheetara had a vision in her sleep last night because of her sixth sense. Rataro hasn't retreated like we thought he had; he's just laying low for the time being. He's trying to find a way of getting into Cats' Lair undetected. He's kidnapped a pumiger cub and is threatening her, from what Cheetara's told me."

"That devious bastard! He never learns, does he?"

"No," Sebastian says as he perches on the edge of the window "I've known him for years, but kidnapping is something that he's never lowered himself to. I mean, he is notorious for threatening and torturing his prisoners to get what he wants, but not for kidnapping and holding people hostage."

"Reowr! No-one's been reported as missing, and no-one's come to us to tell us that their kid's gone missing." Bengali says as he sits back in his chair.

"I know. That's what I'm worried about."

"Howether, it could have just happened during the night, Lion-O," my wife says as she looks at me "Rataro said that he snatched the cub right from under her mother's nose in the street."

"How is that even possible?"

I turn to Wilykit as I say "Anything's possible. He could have got someone with the ability to turn invisible to do it; he could have drugged both the child _and _the mother. He could have done anything. All I know is that we need to get the cub out of there. God knows what he could be doing to her as we speak."

"Yeah, but there's one small problem with that, Lion-O; how the bloody hell will we know where they are?"

"The Sword of Omens will be able to locate Rataro's ship."

Sebastian clears his throat then says "And this time you'll have to take extra precautions. Rataro is wise to learn from any mistakes he makes; he's likely to have reinforcements this time."

I nod then say "Ok. I'll take some of you with me for a reconnaissance mission. The rest of you will stay here and guard Cats' Lair."

Sebastian clears his throat again as he says "I may not be a Thundercat, but what do you want me to do?"

I turn to the wolf as I say "We need all of the strength that we can get; you're coming with me."

He nods, and then I say "Meeting disbanded."

As I walk towards the Sword Chamber, I hear Cheetara call from behind me.

"Lion-O,"

I stop and turn around as my wife runs towards me.

"Lion-O, I'm coming with you."

I put my hands on her shoulders as I say "Cheetara, you're staying here. I'm not going to risk losing you, or our cub. I love you, but I'm not chancing losing you; you're too precious to me."

"But...Lion-O..."

"I said no. It's too dangerous. You could be killed."

"So could you!"

"Cheetara, I'll have some of the other Thundercats with me. The Thunderkittens, Snarf, Snarfer, Marcia and Bengali will be staying here."

She looks at me as she says "But you need me!"

I sigh before saying "As I said, I'm not risking the lives of you or our cub. You're safer here."

She nods slightly then says "Ok. You _are _the Lord of the Thundercats, after all. Good luck."

I hug her then continue on to the Sword Chamber. The second I walk in, the Sword of Omens springs to life when it senses my presence and roars in warning.

I pick it up then command "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

What I see makes me feel anger. Pure anger:

Rataro is standing before the young pumiger cub and is beating her; fresh blood trickles from her wounds as he punches and hits her. As the Sword shows me more, I can hear her screams of agony and desperate pleads, as well as the rat's cruel, callous laughter. The cub is screaming for her mother, and Rataro is just standing there, tormenting her.

I growl then try to control myself as I slip the Sword of Omens back into the Claw Shield. This is it! Time to teach this bastard a lesson about messing with the Thundercats once and for all!

**...**

"Alright, everyone. Stay close to me and keep your eyes peeled!" I whisper as Sebastian, Lynx-O, Pumyra, Panthro and Tygra follow me as we sneak down the corridor. The air is musty and thick with the stench of fresh blood. I signal for them to stay where they are, and as I unsheathe the Sword of Omens, I look around the corner, and see two guards standing either side of a door, their backs turned to us, speaking in some sort of unrecognisable language, which is probably Plun-darrian.

I turn back to the others as I whisper "There are guards. Rataro's nowhere to be seen. They're speaking in Plun-darrian. Sebastian, you know what to do!"

He grins as he takes a gas canister from his belt. "Ok. This is a mixture of gasses that can drop a Plun-darrian in seconds of breathing it in. Just make sure that those respirators are properly switched on and securely strapped to your mouths and noses; the fumes are highly toxic to Thunderians. Just for safety, make sure to put them on now." he says in a low whisper as we pull the masks on then secure them. It feels strange on my face, but as I switch it on, fresh, untainted air rushes to my lungs, and I breathe deeply.

"Ok. Stay back," he says as he straps his ventilator to his snout "It can irritate your skin and fur if you're in the vicinity of the concentrated gasses. That's why we're all wearing protective suits."

He pulls the pin from the canister before rolling it towards the guards. I watch as it ends up between them, then explodes in a flash of deep blue and purple. The pair near most instantly drop to the floor unconscious, then we continue on forwards.

"Lynx-O, can you detect the pumiger cub anywhere?" I ask as we rush through the doorway.

The lynx's ears twitch slightly as he searches.

"I can detect two Thunderians. The younger is ok, but the adult's life force is dangerously low." he says as we advance on to the next door. It slides open, and I instantly notice that we're in a dungeon. I can smell the scents of a female tiger and a female pumiger.

"They're in here!" I say as I walk in. They follow me through the corridor, and I come to a stop before a cell where the pumiger cub is crouching in the corner, hissing and growling at me. Her ears are on top of her head, and she's got a tail.

"Hey, don't worry. We're going to get you out of here!" I say as I crouch down outside of the cell.

"Who...Who are you?" the cub hisses as she slowly walks toward me.

I take hold of the torch from my belt and switch it on, flooding the dark corridor with shadows and patches of light.

"Lion-O!" she cries as she runs towards the bars.

"What's your name?"

"Caitlyn."

"Listen, Caitlyn. We're going to get you out of here, as well as your mother."

She looks at me as she nods. Her cheekbones look hollow in the light of the torch, and I realize exactly how thin she is.

"Sebastian, pass me those sticky bombs." I say as I turn to the Wolfman. He slips three of the bombs from his pocket then passes them to me.

"Caitlyn, I need you to go into the corner with your back to me. There's going to be a loud explosion, but it's going to be okay." I say as I fix one of the bombs to the lock. She does as I say, so we run for cover, then I detonate the sticky bomb.

"Right, if we're gonna do it, let's do it!"

"THUNDERCATS _**HO!**_"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"So, you're having a cub, eh?"

"Yeah. Looks like you get to go back to being a nursemaid." I say as Snarf jumps up onto my shoulders. He purrs then says "I wonder what it's going to be."

"Well, Lion-O hopes that it's going to be a boy, which I do too." I say as we walk into the Control Room.

"Have you found the pumiger cub yet?" Bengali asks as the telescreen shows the footage from Lion-O's camera.

"We've just busted her out of the dungeon, and we're in the process of freeing her mum, which will be tricky because of how injured she is."

"Lion-O, just be careful. There's more guards around the corner. Keep your eyes peeled!"

"Everything's going smoothly, then?" I say as I walk up to Bengali. He turns around in the chair as he says "They've found the pair of Thunderians, but Rataro's coming for them!"

"Wha...w...that...Ben...li? Rat...o...co...ing...f...us?" I hear Lion-O say, but the communication keeps cutting in and out.

"Lion-O, I can't hear you! Your communicator keeps cutting in and out." Bengali says, and all we receive from Lion-O is a load of static with odd words, ending with a disembodied scream, then silence.

"Lion-O! Lion-O, do you hear me? Are you receiving me? Come in, Lion-O!" Bengali says, but there's nothing but static.

"We've lost the damned connection!" he growls, then there's a deafening explosion from downstairs, violently shaking the ground.

"What the hell was that?" I ask as I regain my footing.

Bengali pushes himself up off of the floor as he says "I don't know!"

He pulls himself back into the chair and turns on the monitor, and we see the cause of the explosion.

"Shit! The main hall's on fire!" he shouts as we see the raging inferno on the screen. He checks all of the cameras, all of which show flames licking at the walls of the Lair.

"The whole entire bloody building's been set ablaze! This isn't anything natural!" he snarls as he gets up "We need to get out of here!"

"But how? Everything's on fire!" I say as the cameras slowly cut to static one by one.

"I'll go and check for a way out. You stay put; I'll be back!" he says, then he's out of the door.

I watch nervously as I watch him running through the flames down the corridor, the fire licking at his fur and mane as he runs. "C'mon, Ben. You've gotta find a way out!" I say out loud as Snarf climbs onto my shoulders again.

"Reow! He won't be coming back any time soon! LOOK!" the red and yellow cat cries as he points at one of the cameras, and what I see shocks me:

Bengali is being bound in ropes then thrown into the flames by Mumm-ra, who had just materialized in front of the main entrance. I can just about see Bengali struggling against the bonds and writhing in pain as the flames consume him. Then, the ancient devil priest turns to the camera and grins as he unsheathes the Sword of Plun-darr and with one swing, he severs the camera from the wall; the feed cuts to static, and all I can hear is my blood pumping in my ears, and all I can feel is my heart pounding in my chest.

"_Cheetara_!" Snarf screams as he points behind me.

I turn around, and I can see the flames sneaking under the door and advancing towards us.

"Quick, Snarf! Get the fire extinguisher!" I shout as the flames slowly travel towards us.

He jumps down on to the floor and runs up to the fire extinguisher from the wall, before turning it on the fire; it doesn't have any effect on it. The flames continue their assault.

"Snarf, give it to me!" I say as he steps back. The cat passes me the fire extinguisher, and I attempt to put the flames out, but it doesn't work. One of the flames licks at my leg, and I jump back at the sensation of iciness and numbness. Cold fire? It just isn't possible.

"The fire's cold!" I say as Snarf climbs up on to the control panel.

"Sneyarf! What do we do now?" he cries as I climb onto the chair to get away from the stinging flames.

"I don't know, Snarf!" I say, and that's when I hear a familiar cackle.

"Mumm-ra!"

The mummy appears in front of us, then says "Well, well, well! In a spot of trouble, are we? Got no way to get out? What a shame!"

Snarf growls then says "You did this!"

Mumm-ra cackles again then says "Yes, I did! And I'll take what I came for, too!"

He turns to me and starts walking towards me, just as Snarf leaps at him. "You'll never take her, Muh..." he snarls, but he can't finish his sentence because Mumm-ra stuns him with a bolt of energy.

"Stay out of this, fuzz-face! I'll deal with you later!" he snarls, then he turns to me again

"Now, Cheetara," he growls, spitting my name with venom on his tongue "You can come with me the easy way or the hard way!"

"Never!" I snarl, my ears flattening against my head slightly as he raises the Sword of Plun-darr above his head.

I jump off of the chair and watch as the fire around me disappears.

"Oh, you don't know what I could do to you without Lion-O here to save you, she-cat!" he says as he grabs me around the throat and lifts me clean up off of the floor.

"M...Mu...Mumm-ra! L...Let me g...go!" I choke as I struggle against him, but he tightens his grip on my throat.

"Oh no! You're coming with me!" he gloats, watching as my body starts to react to the lack of oxygen in my lungs.

I curse in Thunderian, then everything goes black...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Pumyra, they're both out! You and Tygra get them to the Thundertank. We'll deal with Rataro!" I say as I wipe the blood from the blade of the Sword of Omens. That's when the Sword starts to growl like crazy, flashing and roaring.

"What now? Danger?" I say as I hold it in front of my face.

"Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!" I command for the Sword's powers; the crossbars curl upwards as the Eye of Thundera growls, and the familiar blue swirling fog fills my mind, but I can instantly tell that something is awfully wrong. When the fog clears slightly, I can feel the rage rising in my throat at what I see; Cats' Lair is in flames, which glow an eerie electric blue, and then the scenery switches to...no!

I can see Cheetara tied to a pole in Mumm-ra's throne room, and the ancient devil priest is standing before her with Slithe, Luna and Jackalman. I can clearly hear them talking and what I can hear doesn't impress me:

"How are we going to draw him out?"

"Easy, Slithe. We have Cheetara, and she is pregnant with her and Lion-O's first cub. The little wretch will be extremely overprotective of her, so he will come."

"But he'll kick our asses when he gets here. He's too strong to take on, and yet you always bitch about it and wonder why we never win!"

"Can it, you wretched canine! Go home and stew if you don't want to get a taste of pure, untainted victory!"

I lower the Sword of Omens as I feel it rising in my throat. I turn around and slowly start to speed up to a run as a low growl escapes my throat, growing into a deep, guttural roar of rage as I sprint towards the Thunderclaw and slam my fist down on the ignition, violently denting the control panel as the engine roars to life.

"Lion-O! Lion-O, think about what you're doing! You can't just rush in impulsively!" I hear Sebastian shouting after me, but I ignore him and make the Thunderclaw shoot off into the sky, the wind whipping in my mane as I rush to rescue my wife, blinded with rage.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Well Cheetara. Guess who's here to get you out!"

I look up at Mumm-ra as his grotesque face looms in front of me. I growl deep within my throat then say "You'll regret this!"

"I highly doubt it, she-cat! Let's see if your precious Lord can save you now!"

With that, Lion-O comes running into the room, and stops dead at the sight of me tied to the pole with Mumm-ra standing before me.

He growls viciously then unsheathes the Sword of Omens, but he doesn't say anything.

He starts to run towards us, snarling viciously at Mumm-ra, who unsheathes the Sword of Plun-darr in response to the young lion's actions.

"You're going to fucking pay for this you...you...you _ac'chjyzarksch_!" he growls as he circles the mummy, his fur standing on end, making him look more threatening and intimidating.

"You don't scare me, Lion-O! I have lived for a thousand years and I'll live for thousands more, but you won't because you're mortal!"

Mumm-ra thrusts the Sword towards Lion-O's stomach, but the lion easily avoids it...but that's not possible.

The ancient mummy realizes, and roars in dismay as my husband grins at him.

"For fuck's sake! _Stay STILL!_" he screams as he lunges at the young lion again and again, missing every time as Lion-O seems to melt into the shadows, his movements like fluid as he dodges every stroke from the blade. Where did he get those powers from?"

Lion-O skirts around the mummy and runs towards me as Mumm-ra turns to face us.

"Don't worry, Cheetara. I'll get you outta here!" he says as he starts to tear the ropes from around my wrists.

"Lion-O, look out!" I cry as Mumm-ra shouts a spell as he points at my husband's back.

Lion-O turns around, just as a red beam of lightning bolts towards my husband's chest at a breakneck speed...

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**Now that Mumm-ra has crossed the line, things start to get messy as Lion-O fights to get him and Cheetara out of the pyramid alive. When they get back to the Lair, Sebastian reveals a terrible secret that will put the Thundercats' trust in the Plun-darrian to the test. Will Lion-O forgive the wolf, or will he be banished from New Thundera to forever roam the universe alone?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	14. Chapter 13: Immortals

_**A/N: I clearly noticed that I haven't mentioned that this story is intentionally darker than the original series was. This trilogy is also a fan continuation of the original series, kinda like a series 3, 4 and 5, or 5, 6 and 7 (depending on how you code it.)**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, adult themes, character death and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Thursday 4**__**th**__** June 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Monday 15**__**th**__** June 2015**_

_**Song/s: Immortals by Fall Out Boy**_

Chapter 13: Immortals

"LION-O!"

I duck and roll out of the way as Mumm-ra's beam soars towards me; it hits the wooden pole that Cheetara is tied to and ignites the ropes, freeing her.

"You should have learned when I beat you last time!" I growl as I stand up then walk towards the ancient devil priest "And now you're going to pay for what you've done!"

"I've heard that millions of times before, and I'm still here, Lord of the Thundercats! I am the everliving, but your time is up!" he snarls as he grabs my wrist, twisting my arm fiercely, leaving himself open to a counter attack.

I swiftly kick him in the abdomen, stunning him as he loosens his grip on me. I slip from him and give him another swift kick to his feet, knocking him over. I just leave him lying on the floor as I run up to Cheetara.

"I'm getting you outta here." I say as I sling her right arm around my shoulders and help her out of the door. She's barely even able to hold on, and I know that she's struggling to stay conscious. What did Mumm-ra do to her? The second we're out of the Pyramid, I see the Thundertank speeding towards us. I help Cheetara down onto the ground as I say "What did he do to you?"

"I...I was...dr...dru...drugged..." she pants as she leans forward, and I can tell that she's about to collapse.

"Cheetara, just hang on a little bit longer for me! We'll be home soon." I say, but she's already unconscious.

When the Thunderstrike lands, I hoist my unconscious wife up and carry her towards the waiting craft. "Lion-O, what the hell happened to Cheetara?" I hear Tygra say as he, Pumyra and Panthro run towards me.

"Mumm-ra kidnapped her from Cats' Lair, which he set ablaze. He drugged her." I say as the tiger takes my wife from my arms and caries her into the Thunderstrike.

"I don't like the looks of this," Sebastian says as I climb into the pod that he's in "She doesn't look like she's in the best condition. We'd better get back to your Cats' Lair as soon as possible."

I sit down and close the hatch as I say "I know. Mumm-ra's smarter than we could have ever bargained for. He somehow knew that Cheetara is pregnant, and he managed to use that to his advantage. The Lair was ablaze when I saw it using the Sword's power of sight beyond sight, and Bengali, Snarfer and the Thunderkittens were all bound and gagged, apart for Snarf, who was stunned."

**...**

I look up at Pumyra as she walks into my office and stop pacing back and forth from anxiety.

"How is she?"

"She'll be ok, but she's got Thundrainium poisoning."

"That isn't possible. There weren't any traces of Thundrainium when I was at the pyramid; I didn't feel weak."

"There was a high amount in her blood stream the last time I checked, implying that she was obviously injected with the stuff."

"But I thought that if we're injected with pure Thundrainium, it will kill us instantly."

"Remember that it happened to you, and you were really sick for the next few days."

"Is that going to happen to Cheetara? I couldn't move from my bed for three days because I felt like shit."

"You _were _pretty badly poisoned, but the levels in her blood aren't as high as they were with you."

"Great Jaga! I guess that that's kind of a relief...for the time being." I groan, and then I start pacing back and forth again, cursing angrily and only stopping when Pumyra says "She and the cub are going to be fine."

"How can you be so sure of that, Pumyra?"

"Trust me. She'll be absolutely fine. C'mon, I'll take you to see her." she says as I stop pacing again.

I follow her out of the door then down the corridor to the infirmary.

"Now, Caitlyn and her mother are also in there and are currently being treated for their injuries. Caitlyn only has a fractured radius and fleas, but her mother has serious injuries. Now, about Cheetara..." she says as she pushes the door open. I see my wife lying on the bed, wearing nothing but a hospital gown, her breathing ragged. I can feel the anxiety rising in my throat as I walk up to the bed and sit in the seat by Cheetara's side. Her skin and fur are pale and she's soaked with sweat, the two main signs of Thundrainium poisoning.

I take her right hand in mine and gently stoke the back of her hand as I subconsciously place my other hand on her slightly swollen stomach. I can't believe that she's carrying a cub; my cub.

"She's nearly two months through; she's due in November. When she's 20 weeks gestation, you'll be able to learn what gender the cub will be. Not to mention that she'll also be able to feel him, or her, moving." Pumyra says as Cheetara groans in her sleep "You can sleep in here for tonight incase she wakes up."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I groan as I open my eyes. My body is sore and I feel so weak. I try to sit up, but a soft voice that I recognise as Pumyra's says "You've got to stay lying down, Cheetara. You can't get up yet. Try to get some rest."

My eyes start to focus and I see that I'm lying in the infirmary. I can see a pumiger cub and a female puma lying on one of the beds, and I can see my husband lying in the next bed to me, his back to me, with Snarf curled up at his feet.

"Is he ok?" I ask worriedly as I start to fear that he was wounded.

"Yeah. He's perfectly fine. He's been lying there since eleven at night, and I think he's fallen asleep. I know for sure that Snarf is asleep. It's three in the morning now." Pumyra says as Lion-O rolls over then starts snoring. Loudly.

"Jeez," she laughs as she checks my vitals "I don't know how you can sleep in the same room as him. He snores like the Thundertank!"

"Ah well, you learn to live with it eventually."

"I'm surprised that you even manage to get any sleep. He really sounds like a blocked drain."

"Trust me, it's worse when he breathes in your face in the morning. Half of the time, his breath smells like fish."

"I can imagine that..."

She laughs slightly as the young lion rolls over and nearly falls clean off of the bed. "It's hard to think that he's mentally 10 years younger than he actually is. It's easy to forget because of how mature he is now." I say as he stirs slightly. He rolls onto his back before waking up fully, stretching as he yawns.

"Jeez...what's going on? Who left the lights on?" he mumbles groggily as he knuckles the sleep from his eyes before rolling over and falling off of the bed, making both me and Pumyra laugh as he gets back up again. "Well, thanks a lot, you two! You could have woke me up! Now I've gone and missed half of my shift, meaning that Tygra's going to be pissed when I get to the Control Room!" he says as he walks towards the door, but he stops at the end of my bed and says "It's nice to see you awake again. You'd been given shots of Thundrainium by Mumm-ra to knock you out, but it didn't work; it poisoned you."

Pumyra throws a warning shot at him then says "I wasn't going to tell her that until she was better!"

He blushes slightly as he runs a hand through his scruffy mane. "Well...I didn't know about that...so how do you expect me to not tell her?" he says as he starts to walk towards the door again, then he disappears into the darkness of the corridor. Snarf stirs then yawns, stretching as he digs his claws into the blankets. "Sneyarf, Sneyarf! Reowr, what a night!" he says as he jumps off of the bed, and the second he clocks me, he walks up to me and stands on his tail as he smiles at me. "It's nice to see that you're ok, Cheetara. Lion-O's been worried sick, poor boy. I can tell that he's gone to finish his shift. Well, he's a bit late for that. Either way, how do you feel?"

"Well, a bit better than I did when we got out of the Pyramid. One thing's for sure, though; we aren't as safe as we were in the past. Mumm-ra, the Mutants, and even the Lunataks have gotten smarter every time we fought them. They've finally found to learn from their mistakes, meaning that we need to up our defences if we want to survive, and for the generations of the future to survive."

Snarf purrs sadly as he says "And unless we can stop them soon, New Thundera will never be the perfect paradise that we always envisioned."

I sniff sadly as I recall on a conversation that me and Lion-O had one summer's night, before we came to New Thundera. Before we knew that the planet was reforming. Before our lives started to get crazier.

"_**Lion-O,"**_

_**The young lion turns around and watches me as I walk towards him. He's casually wearing nothing but his shorts, having taken off his shirt. "Hi, Cheetara," he says as he turns back to look out over the forest and countryside "It's a lovely, warm night tonight, isn't it?"**_

_**I sigh before standing next to him. "It would be even better if there weren't any damned mosquitoes. I'm being eaten alive, here." I say as I rub my right arm.**_

"_**It wouldn't be any better if we were still living on Thundera. It would be even hotter at this time of night, meaning that there'd be even more mosquitoes." he says as he turns to face me again. **_

"_**Y'know, I sometimes wonder whether there are still any Thunderian survivors out there in the stars, waiting to be told that there's a planet to call a permanent home." I say as I subconsciously cuddle up to the young lion. His clothes are damp, making me wonder exactly how long he's been out here. He slings an arm around my shoulders and pulls me towards him. **_

"_**I always think the exact same thing. There's absolutely no way that we're the only survivors of the catastrophe that destroyed Old Thundera. There were hundreds of escape pods, each carrying nearly two thousand Thunderians. The night after we rescued Pumyra, Bengali and Lynx-O from Fire Rock Mountain, I had a private talk with Lynx-O. He told me that there had been many more survivors. He told me that the Berbils that saved them also saved five others, who disappeared when the Berbils' ship crashed. He said that their names were Caspian, Lynxanna, Tigraie, D'mitry, and Casey. He told me that Casey was his wife, and Lynxanna was his daughter. Tigraie was just a few days old and her parents were supposedly killed when the first earthquake struck. They haven't been seen ever since."**_

_**He looks down at the wound on his chest that he received from Tygra after being struck in the chest by one of the tiger's fire bolts. I can remember that battle. Mumm-ra took control of the Sword of Omens and used it against us. Lion-O nearly killed Tygra and Bengali when Mumm-ra made him drink a potion that temporarily made him evil. The Sword started to control itself, but Tygra stopped him, nearly killing Lion-O in the process:**_

"_**Lion-O! Lion-O, don't!"**_

_**I watch as Lion-O struggles to let go of the Sword of Omens.**_

"_**I...I can't help it! It's frozen to my hands! I can't let go of it!" he cries as the Sword aims itself at Tygra and Bengali.**_

"_**Lion-O! Let go of the fucking sword!" Bengali screams as he struggles against the thick ropes holding him against the pole, the wood red with blood from his and Tygra's struggles.**_

"_**I CAN'T! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO BLOODY TELL YOU?" Lion-O shouts as Mumm-ra continues to flood the Sword with ancient, evil magic. The blade of the mystic sword glows a deep shade of crimson, disturbingly similar to blood as Lion-O is dragged across the ground.**_

"_**Lion-O, you know that you can't control yourself. The evil desires in your heart are calling for you; they're overwhelming you." Mumm-ra taunts the young lion as he steps forward.**_

_**I can see Lion-O struggling against the effects of the potion that Mumm-ra forced down his throat. He seems to be fighting against the evil urges, but it doesn't stop him from walking towards the pair with the Sword of Omens brandished at the pair of bound tigers.**_

"_**Bengali, can you reach my whip?"**_

"_**I think so."**_

"_**Well, grab it, then!"**_

_**Bengali reaches for Tygra's whip then puts it into the Bengal tiger's hands, who turns it on our young lord...**_

"_**It still haunts you, doesn't it?" I ask the young lion as he turns to look at me.**_

_**He sighs heavily before saying "Not only that, but it's also because defeating the Mutants, the Lunataks and Mumm-ra means that we'll have to get bloody."**_

_**I feel my stomach churning at the thought of possibly having to kill some of our enemies.**_

"_**Well, let's hope that it never comes to that."**_

I sigh as Snarf jumps up on to my bed and curls up at my feet. "Well, I'd better leave you to get some sleep. You're going to need all of the rest that you can get." Pumyra says, then she walks out of the infirmary, switching the light off as she walks out.

I lie back on the soft pillows and find myself slowly falling asleep as the fatigue slowly takes over...only to be woken up what seems like milliseconds later by the alarms blaring at maximum volume.

Snarf wakes up in a shot and starts screaming in Thunderian, seconds before Lion-O comes running into the infirmary.

"What...What's going on?" I cry as he runs up to me.

"Mutants! They've got into Cats' Lair! You've got to hide somewhere. If Rataro finds you, god knows what he'll do with you." he says as he looks at me in the eyes "He's already done so much to you all," he looks at Caitlyn and her mother as he continues "It's 4a.m, which makes this one hell of a wakeup call, but you've all got to hide where they won't find you!"

He kisses me as I say "Just be safe. Don't let him get the upper hand of you. Good luck."

He smiles slightly as he says "Don't you worry, my love. I'll stay safe, Cheetara. And if he does anything to you..." he clenches his right hand into a fist as he growls "I'll make that bastard pay!"

**...**

I can hear voices shouting and the clash of steel upon steel, as well as the sounds of laser fire. Plus, I can hear Lion-O shouting orders from downstairs.

My heart pounds in my chest as I hear footsteps approaching at a fast rate. I press myself as far under the bed as I can, trying to calm down as Rataro stops before me, unknowing to the fact that I'm mere inches away from him.

"Come on out, Cheetara! Don't turn this into a game! I know that you're in here somewhere!" his harsh, grainy voice calls as he slowly walks away, checking the whole room.

I dare let my breath go and give a silent sigh of relief...

"GOTCHA!"

I scream as the mutant rat roughly seizes my ankles and drags me out from under the bed. He presses me against the mattress as he snarls "Oh, I'm going to have _so _much fun with you, she-cat!"

I shudder at the tone of his voice and scream "Lion-O! HELP!"

Rataro laughs cruelly before saying "Your precious husband is dead, you bitch!"

He drags a claw up my face then winds a lock of my mane around his finger.

"I never realized exactly how beautiful you are, Thundercat. You're coming with me to Plun-darr. If you're lucky, your master will treat you royally." He says in a voice that makes me feel sick.

He laughs like the sadistic bastard that he is, then suddenly stops with a gasp of pain. He looks as if he's been frozen, but he starts coughing violently; thick, sticky red blood spurts from his mouth as he chokes. He's pulled away, and I see that the blade of the Sword of Omens is sticking out of his chest, blood pumping from the wound as he falls to the floor.

I look up and see Lion-O standing above the mutant rat, looking horrified at what he's done. He puts a foot on the rat's chest then pulls the blade from his chest. As the young lion cleans the blood from the Sword's blade, Rataro says, with his dying breath "Why turn your back on your wretched code...Lion-O?"

"The exception is when a Thundercat's life is threatened, Mutant!" Lion-O snarls, then he drives the Sword of Omens through the rat's abdomen.

The mutant warlord dies in a pool of blood. I watch as frothy blood spurts from his mouth and onto his chest as he twitches. His eyes are glazed, and his skin is a pale shade of blue from asphyxiation.

"Lion-O! Why'd you kill him?" I say as he grabs the mutant's body before dragging it to the door, where the other Thundercats and Sebastian are standing, all wearing the same look of horror on their faces.

"I...I...He...He was threatening you! I was...I was just...just defending you!" the young lion says as he drops Rataro's body to the floor, but nobody responds to him. Sebastian looks distressed, and even I feel sick to my stomach from the scent of blood. Rataro was right; killing is wrong.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

What the bloody hell was I thinking? I've committed a crime to my people. Rataro might have been one of our old enemies, but I shouldn't have lost my temper with him so quickly. I was blinded with rage, and my heart told me to act before he harmed Cheetara. What I did is unacceptable. To me, to the other Thundercats, and to Sebastian. Oh Gods of Thundera! Sebastian! I've got to apologize to him for killing one of his people, even if he wasn't following Rataro.

"Lion-O, can I come in for a second? I need to talk to you in private for a minute."

I'm so deep in my thoughts that when Sebastian knocks on my door, he makes me jump. I run to the door and open it as I say "Y...Yes! Just...next time...don't knock the door so hard! Come in, then!"

The Wolfman walks in, his long tail swishing behind him, catching the many papers on my desk and sending them flying as he turns around, knocking the vase off of my desk. "Jeez! Be careful! That thing was expensive, you know!" I snap as I catch it then put it back on my desk before cleaning the dust off of it with my hand "Listen, I know that I'm probably the last person who you're going to want to see, but why do you need to talk to me?"

"I have a confession to make..."

I look at Sebastian as he looks down at his feet. I cross my arms over my chest as I say "Well?"

"Lion-O, I never meant to come off on the wrong side, but I haven't _exactly_ been on your side for the entire duration of my time here at Cats' Lair."

I growl slightly then snarl "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's rather hard to explain, but as I said, I'm a Plun-darrian spy..."

"You've been _spying _on us?"

"Yeah. And this time, it's not my fault. I was sent here by Mumm-ra, and he threatened to kill my mate and my pups if I told anyone."

"How do I know that you aren't _lying _to me like you have been for the past god knows how long you've been here!"

"Lion-O, please, have mercy on me! If I didn't do this, then Mumm-ra would have killed my mate and my pups! They're on Plun-darr, starving because they don't have any food on their plates. That's the thing! They rely on me to get them food. My mate is too sick to work, and my eldest is employed by a landowner to make clothes for what equates to one Thunderian halfpenny a day! If you kill me, how can they live? I'm their lifeline!"

"You should have thought about that before you sided with Mumm-ra!" I snarl as I grab him by the back of his shirt and drag him out of my office "You're going back where you belong!"

I drag him down the corridor towards the stairs and continue to pull him after me as I walk towards the main doors as Sebastian pleads and begs, but it falls on deaf ears.

"Lion-O, what's going on?"

I turn around as I see the other Thundercats standing behind me, all looking confused.

Wilykit steps forward and asks "What are you doing to Sebastian? Why are you throwing him out? We like him! He's nice!"

"He's a vile, mutinous traitor! He's been spying on us and selling the information to Mumm-ra!"

"No I haven't!"

I kick Sebastian in the shin, making him cry out in pain, then I say "And he's going back to the prison to await charges!"

"Lion-O, please! Have mercy! As I told you, it's only because of the fact that Mumm-ra threatened to have my wife and my pups killed!"

"Lion-O, let him have a second chance! As he said, he was forced into it by Mumm-ra!"

I look at the Wolfman then scowl, but I can't face the thought of him losing his wife and children because of me. I let him go and say "Ok, this is your second _and last _chance. No more spying, no more eavesdropping, either!"

The Wolfman nods then says "Is there anything that I can do to thank you?"

"No. And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have cut to a solution so quickly."

"It's ok. I shouldn't have followed Mumm-ra's orders. He doesn't even know where my wife is."

I sigh, then start to walk back to my office. What a start to a supposed-to-be normal day. I just hope that there aren't going to be any more surprises.

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**Trouble arises when the High Plun-darrian council demand an audience with Lion-O , months after Rataro's gruesome death. But as the due date of Cheetara and Lion-O's cub draws nearer, the Lair becomes a hive of activity as the Thundercats and the whole of New Thundera prepare to meet the new prince or princess. Will everything go smoothly, or will Lion-O collapse under the immense stress of his new life as a father?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	15. Chapter 14: My demons

_**A/N: Ok. This is the re-written version of the chapter. The original was a two-day-challenge between me and a friend (I was challenged to write a chapter in 2 days and upload it, no matter what state it was in. I won the challenge, so I decided to re-write/improve it...) I hope that you enjoy, and as usual, feel free to review/favourite/follow! :3**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, adult themes and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Tuesday 16**__**th**__** June 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Friday 19**__**th**__** June 2015 (REWRITTEN!)**_

_**Song/s: My Demons by Starset**_

Chapter 14: My Demons

"We need to talk to you all,"

The other Thundercats look up at me as me and Lysander walk into the Council Chamber. "But before we do, where's Lion-O?"

Snarf purrs then says "Sneyarf, Sneyarf! Reow, I don't know, Tygra. But I think he's gone out to the city for a walk. Besides, you can't call a meeting without Lion-O's acknowledgement, anyway."

"I have to, Snarf, because this is about what he did earlier, and what he did when he tried to get us out of Castle Plun-darr a few months ago." I say as I sit down. I put the files concerning Rataro's gruesome murder by our Lord down on the table and open it as I say "Now, we all know that Lion-O said that he was just protecting Cheetara, but he knows that murder and killing is unacceptable. So, it is with the best interests in the safety of not only others, but also his own safety that I call this meeting."

I open the files and spread the photographs of the grizzly scene across the table. Lysander clears his throat before saying "Lion-O is 10 years younger mentally than he is physically, but that isn't any sort of excuse for his behaviour recently. He knows that the way he behaves affects the way that we treat him-"

"But surely there has to be a way of, y'know, just accepting what he did and just getting on with it?"

"No, and that's what I'm getting on to. As I said, his behaviour is unacceptable, and therefore he must be punished accordingly. So, although I hate to say it, I'm afraid that the Thunderian Council has decided to strip Lion-O of his title, rank, and duties as the Lord of the Thundercats until further notice-"

Snarf stands up on his tail like a shot and says "Sneyarf, Sneyarf! You can't do that, Lysander!"

I shake my head as I say "No, he can. There were non-lethal methods of dealing with Rataro, such as knocking him out, but Lion-O flat out killed him. I am the next in line until his and Cheetara's cub has been born and is old enough to take their rightful place, so I have the power to do such an action. As of now, either me or Cheetara," I look at the cheetah as she glances at me "Seeing as she is now Queen of New Thundera, will take over control. I also have no choice in saying this, but Lion-O will also be put on trial for murder. There has to be serious consequences, meaning that it doesn't matter whether Lion-O is the Lord of the Thundercats or not; he has to be punished for his actions."

Snarf purrs anxiously as Snarfer says "Jeez, but I don't think that Lion-O's gonna be very happy about that, Tygra, Sneeyarfer! Sneeyarfer! After all, you are taking away what is his through birthright."

"I know that, Snarfer. But we can't be so accepting about his actions. He thinks that if he does something bad, because we haven't done anything about it, he can get away with it without being punished. It's about time that we all put our feet down. I mean, with the trial, I can bet that no Thunderian is going to fault him in this situation, but he can't get away with it this time. He needs to learn that in order for us to treat him like an adult, he needs to act more maturely, meaning that in turn, he'll grow up."

"But has any Lord of the Thundercats ever been put on trial for murder?"

"No. Plus, I'll have to put him on house arrest for the time being-"

"You can't!"

I shoot a harsh look at Snarf and snap "Snarf! Shut up and let me speak!"

He purrs and defensively wraps his tail around himself as he lies down on the window seat, muttering to himself. I clear my throat and continue.

"As I was saying, Lysander has put down the order to have to put Lion-O on house arrest, and considering the fact being that he's going to be stripped of his title, that means that he won't be allowed to go on any missions to Third Earth, nor will he be allowed out of Cats' Lair without an escort. Howether, he will still be continuing as the King of New Thundera because it would be improper."

"So, it's basically like saying that you're grounding him?"

"Yes, Wilykit. That's exactly what it's like. I'm basically grounding him." the lion says as he looks at the young wildcat.

"But in a more severe way, I suppose." Pumyra says as she looks at the files. She still stinks of cleaning chemicals from cleaning up the blood on the floor in the infirmary.

"Yeah. Either way, we'll break the news to him when he gets back, but someone needs to tell him to come in here." I say as I stand up "Meeting disbanded."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I sigh contently as I walk up the steps of the Lair. The warm autumn sun beats down on my back as the door opens for me, but as I walk into the entrance hall, the mood changes; Snarf is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"Snarf, where is everybody?" I ask my former nursemaid, worried because it's usually a hive of activity in here at this time of day. The little red and yellow cat purrs sadly before saying "I'm not supposed to tell you, Lion-O. You've got to come with me."

He leads me up the stairs and towards the Council Chamber...I know where this is going. The door opens, and I see the other Thundercats standing around the table, and the highest members of the Thunderian Council are seated at the table, with one seat left; my seat.

"Lysander." I say as I nod to the older lion.

"Sit down, Lion-O. We need to talk." he says as he turns a paper file over in his hands.

Heart nearly in my throat, I slink up to my chair and sit down, trying to ignore the dry feeling in my mouth.

"Right, we have some important business to settle, Lion-O."

I look down as the lion opens the folder and spreads the contents over the table. "You know what these are photos of, don't you?"

"Well, yeah! Of course! I killed Rataro! What about it?" I say as I take one of the photos, which just so happens to be of me after I killed the mutant rat; I'm covered in blood down to my fur, and there's blood under my claws and matting my mane.

"Your action was unacceptable-"

I stand up as I snarl "How was it unacceptable? I was defending Cheetara!"

Tygra pushes me back down into my seat as Tyrone says "It was unacceptable because you killed a person. We can understand why you acted in such a way, but we have to take action, and I can assure you, you are going to be punished severely."

I growl viciously, and both Tygra and Panthro have to pin me in my seat to stop me from flying at the tiger.

Oscar and Lëwis look at eachother as Lysander continues.

"And the situation is currently pending an investigation, which will be carried out by the forensics team, but you Thundercats aren't allowed to help. Until it is gone underway, you are to be placed under house arrest-"

"_WHAT?_" I roar, standing up again and slamming my fist down on the table "Whose idea was this?"

"It was a decision made by the whole Thunderian Council. And considering the fact that you're to be placed under house arrest, you are to be confined to your room."

"What gives you the authority to do _any_ of this?" I growl as I'm forced back into my chair "That's absurd! It goes against my rights as the Lord of the Thundercats!"

"That's the thing, Lion-O," Lysander says as he stands up "We have come to a complete decision. You are to be stripped of your title, rank, and duties as the Lord of the Thundercats until you can keep yourself under control. From now, you aren't to go on any missions to Third Earth, nor will you be allowed out of Cats' Lair without an escort. You're on prohibition as Lord from here on."

"You can't do that! It isn't allowed!" I roar as I stand up, growling at Lysander as he looks calmly into my eyes "It's immoral, and the law forbids it!"

"The law allows it since you are under 25 years of age. You still have the mind of a child, which means that you make impetuous decisions."

Lysander stands up and holds his hand out to me. "You need to give me the Sword of Omens and the Claw Shield."

I hesitate and clench my hand into a fist, but I eventually unclip the Claw Shield from my belt and hand it over to the lion, who passes it to Cheetara.

"I'm so sorry, Lion-O, but we had no choice. We didn't get a say, but we went with it." my wife says as she connects the Claw Shield to her hip.

"Oh, so _you're _taking over?" I say hotly, peeved because the whole idea was came to behind my back "And I'm supposed to be _fine _with this? God no!"

"Don't use that tone with me, Lion-O." Cheetara says as she stands up, but she falters slightly as she sees me squaring up "Don't start!"

"Don't...Don't start? Who...Who made the decision that you were going to be taking over, anyway?" I say as calmly as I can, but I still sound absolutely pissed.

"Lysander took me aside and asked me to take over. Listen, Lion-O, nobody wanted to do this to you..."

"Too damned right, I should think so, too!"

"But it's necessary. Until you learn to control yourself, you aren't to be the Lord of the Thundercats."

"But you're my wife! Surely you're supposed to, y'know, be on _my _side?"

She gives me a cold look, making me shy away slightly. "We're only doing what's best for you."

Lëwis clears his throat before saying "Either way, back on with the conversation. Lion-O, you're liable to be tried in front of a whole jury for murder if the investigation unearths any new information."

"But I can't be tried!" I say triumphantly "I'm the King, so I can't be tried."

"Y'see, that's where you're wrong. You may be the king, but you are still liable to be tried. Face up to the facts, though; you would be serving time in prison right now if you were a normal Thunderian, but because you are in fact a Thundercat and King of New Thundera, you're under house arrest. Anyway, enough has been said. Escort him to his quarters and make sure that he is constantly monitored."

I'm lead out of the room and down the corridor to mine and Cheetara's room, where two members of the Thunderguard are waiting.

One opens the door, and Me, Panthro and Tygra walk in.

"Right, Lion-O. You need to sit on the bed and take off one of your boots because I need to put something on you." Panthro says as he puts a small case on the bed. I sit down and pull off one of my boots as he opens the case, and pulls out some sort of tracking device strapped to a piece of material.

"What the hell is that thing?" I ask as he slips it around my ankle.

"It's an ankle monitor. It'll track where you are, and send a signal to the guards if you exit this room."

"Is this even necessary?" I ask as the pair turn to walk out of the room.

"We had no choice."

**...**

I sigh as I sit down in the window seat of mine and Cheetara's room and watch the Feliner as it takes off and shoots off into the sky. It isn't fair! I'm stuck here, confined to my room; I'm not allowed to go on any missions to Third Earth, nor am I allowed out of Cats' Lair. I've been under house arrest for nearly three months and it's really starting to piss me off. I'm sure that I've forgotten what the outside world looks like. I'm so _bored_! Snarf tries to get me to plat board games to keep me entertained, but it doesn't work.

The Forensic Investigation team still haven't finished their investigation, and Lysander's gave them more time. At this rate, mine and Cheetara's cub will be my age by the time I'm out of here.

I'm not supposed to talk to anyone, not even Cheetara, even though she's my wife. I can't even go out of the room without triggering the sensors on the bloody ankle monitor. I get up then walk towards the bed then throw myself onto the soft bed, burying my face into my pillows.

I hear the door open, and then someone walks into the room and stands over me. I know that it's Cheetara because I can smell her scent. I roll over to look at my wife. She's roughly four months pregnant now, and she's starting to show.

"I've got some good news for you, Lion-O." she says as she sits down on the bed. I sit up as I reply "Oh yeah?"

"I managed to convince the Thunderian Council to lift some of the restrictions; you're no longer on house arrest, and you are allowed out of Cats' Lair, but you'll need an escort."

"But what about me getting my title, duties and rank back as Lord of the Thundercats?" I ask impatiently.

"That won't be happening so soon, Lion-O. You still need to prove that you can control yourself."

I groan and stand up. "Well, at least I'm allowed out of this room. I'm sure that I've forgotten what the countryside looks like."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

_**A few weeks later...**_

"It's going to be..."

"What? C'mon, don't keep us waiting, Pumyra!"

"Ok. Ok. Ok. It's going to be...a..."

I squeeze Lion-O's hand as Pumyra moves the scanner across my abdomen. I can see the cub on the screen, and I can hear its heartbeat.

"C'mon, Pumyra! Tell us!" Lion-O jokes as he watches the tiny cub moving around.

Pumyra laughs before saying "Ok. Well, I can safely tell you that you're going to have to paint the nursery blue; you're having a boy!"

My heart pounds in my chest as the news sinks in. "Lion-O! We're having a boy!" I say joyfully as tears of happiness stream down my cheeks.

"I can't _believe _this! We're having a boy! We're having a boy!" my husband whispers as I sit up. He's beaming from ear to ear from the news.

"Looks like there's going to be a Prince of New Thundera, then," Pumyra says as she helps me up off of the bed "All you have to do is settle on a name for the little guy."

Well, not very much longer, then we'll be meeting our little bundle of joy. Howether, we didn't know back then, but life was only starting to get worse...

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?"

Panthro turns around in his seat as he says "We've got something entering the atmosphere!"

Lion-O sits down in his seat next to the panther and says "But that's impossible! The radars would have detected them!"

"They seem to have some sort of cloaking device activated which is blocking us from tracking them!"

"Can you get a visual?"

Panthro punches some numerical sequences into the control panel as he says "I'll try, but whoever they are, they've wiped out most of our orbital defences! I don't know whether the satellite imaging systems still work, but it's worth a shot."

The screen cuts to static as a figure appears, and a garbled voice speaks in some unrecognisable language.

"Žádáme Vás, abyste otočit Lion-Ó Pane hromu koček k nám, takže bychom ho mohli potrestat za zabití naše obecné Rataro!"

"Who is this?" Lion-O demands as the screen cuts in and out.

"They're the Plun-darrian Council! They want you to be turned over to them so that you can be punished for killing Rataro." Sebastian says as he stands up out of his seat.

"You speak Plun-darrian! Tell them to piss off! I won't go to them! They can have me when I'm dead!"

Sebastian speaks with the Plun-darrians, then they speak back to him.

"What the hell are they saying?"

"They're not gonna give up so soon, Lion-O. They refuse to listen, and they're saying that they're more than willing to kill you if you resist arrest."

"I see...Tell them to come to new Thundera so that we can talk face to face."

Sebastian keeps the Plun-darrian Council members talking as I turn to my husband and say "How can you be so sure that they won't attack us, or wipe out the city?"

"Trust me. If they show any signs of foul play, we'll bring them down in a ball of flames..." he begins, but he cuts off when he sees my face "Once we've captured them, that is..."

Then, he turns to Sebastian and asks "Well? What's happening?"

"They can't leave for quite a few months yet. But during the time between now and then, you can rally the troops for a possible attack."

"Good. Anything like that can keep them off of our backs for a while. So, exactly how long have we got?"

"Meh...about 5 months, depends on the conditions."

"Basically, how long it took most of the Thunderian refugee ships to reach here?"

"Yeah. About that, isn't that the month that your cub's due?"

"We'll have to up any possible defences. We can't risk any attacks. 'Cause that's when we'll be most at risk of an attack from both the mutants, and the Plun-darrian Council if they have reinforcements."

"With all due respect, Lion-O," the Plun-darrian wolf says as he looks at my husband "You haven't got the authority to tell them what they can and cannot do."

"I am the king, so I still have some, if not all of the control over what goes down on this planet."

"Sure you do, but Cheetara has a higher rank than you for the time being, in terms of being a Thundercat."

"I know! I don't need you rubbing it in my face for the time being, Sebastian," Lion-O says, then he turns to me and says "What do you want us to do?"

I sigh before saying "Make sure that you keep your eyes on the scanners. If anything new crops up, report it immediately to me or Lion-O!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

_**A few months later...**_

I turn over in the bed to look at Cheetara; she's flicking through a newspaper, her left hand resting on her stomach.

"You look just about ready to pop." I say cheekily, which earns me a slight smack around the back of my head with the rolled up newspaper.

"Don't joke about it. You wouldn't be laughing if you were the one who was 9 months pregnant! I feel as big as a house! I'm three days overdue and can't stop the nesting habits, and I've already cleaned the lair from top to bottom, much to Snarf's disapproval." Cheetara says, but it's in more of a jokey tone. She's not actually mad. She puts down the newspaper and snuggles into me as I switch off the lamp. But minutes later, she starts fidgeting.

"Cheetara, are you ok?" I ask her.

She sighs as she says "I'm ok. I've just got really mild twinges in my back. It's probably Braxton Hicks contractions. I bet you five Thunderian Guineas that the cub's going to come tomorrow."

Cheetara takes my hands in hers then places them on her swollen stomach; I can feel the cub moving and kicking beneath my palms. "He's a strong little guy." I say as she puts her other hand on top of mine.

"Just like his daddy. I wouldn't be surprised if he's going to have a blood red mane like yours, or the good looks to boot." she says as she kisses me. I purr sleepily then yawn.

"Jeez, I'm so tired. It's not an easy job when you've got to train the Thunderian Legions. They're all eager lads, yearning for more knowledge. It was how to put on armour and hand to hand combat today; I've never had so many bruises on my body since I can remember. Raphaél is showing more promise and greater skills. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one that they choose to be on the ThunderGuard. He took me down with his bare hands, and none of the new recruits training to be the new members of the ThunderGuard have been able to do that. I mean, they had to drag him off of me in the end; the boy had me in a choke hold. I've still got the split lip from when he punched me in the mouth during armed training." I say.

"That's why I told you to have a shower when you came in. You stank of sweat. But now, all I can smell is sandalwood, antiseptic and..." she says, but she stops halfway through her sentence and asks "Why have you got talcum powder on?"

I laugh slightly before saying "I was originally wearing armour. You wouldn't believe how much of my fur that bloody chainmail tore out! There's a massive patch on my right shoulder where there's no fur."

She looks at the furless patch on my shoulder, then bursts out laughing. "Hey! Stop laughing! It's not funny!" I say, hurt slightly by her response. "I'm sorry, Lion-O. But it kinda is quite funny." she laughs, but she stops when she sees my wounded expression. We snuggle down into the warm furs, and I'm asleep within minutes...

_**\- (BORDER) - **_

I walk through the corridor towards Lion-O's office. I'd promised him that I'd go there this morning to talk to him about what we'd do if the cub still doesn't make an appearance.

Suddenly, a horrific wave of pain tears through my abdomen, making me cry out in agony.

"Li...Li...Lion-O! LION-O!" I scream as the pain intensifies.

The door of his office opens and he comes running, his hand plastered with wet ink. The second he sees me at my knees, holding my abdomen and groaning, he says "Cheetara...Great Jaga, what's going on?"

"I think the cub's coming!"

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**Lion-O is put under pressure after Cheetara goes into labour, but also from the two trials that await him. Will he be able to cope? Now that the Plun-darrian Council want his head on a silver plate, he isn't only fighting for the planet, but for his own life.**_

_**Will he come through unscathed, or will the Lord of the Thundercats finally fall? **_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	16. Chapter 15: Lullaby

_**A/N: Finally! The first year of GCSE's is very nearly over! Time to relax and write more Thundercats stories! =D**_

_**I'm sorry that this chapter has taken quite a while...**_

_**My schedule was completely thrown off by all of my exams. Exams during the school hours and revision at home; no time for any writing!**_

_**Either way, I will make up for it. Cross my heart. **_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, adult themes and explicit language. Plus, extreme risk of dying of cuteness overload!**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Friday 19**__**th**__** June 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Sunday 5th July 2015**_

_**Song/s: Lullaby by Creed**_

Chapter 14: Lullaby

"Shit!" I snap as I run up to Cheetara, my heart pounding against my ribcage.

The cheetah groans as she wraps her arms around her stomach, tears streaming down her cheeks.

I rush to my wife then help her up. The second she's on her feet, she groans then says "I think my waters just broke!"

I look down and see the spreading wet patch beneath her. I pick her up in my arms, which makes her groan.

"It hurts! It hurts so much!" she groans as I open the door. She grabs hold of my mane and pulls as a contraction tears through her abdomen, making me yelp in pain.

I jog as fast as I can towards the infirmary and as I round the corner, I see that the light is on, so I know that Pumyra and Tygra are in there. I burst through the door, carrying Cheetara, who is panting, grunting and groaning.

"She's gone into labour! The cub's coming!" I shout as I carry her over to a bed. The pair immediately spring into action; Pumyra grabs warm towels and blankets from the fresh laundry and Tygra grabs a medical kit. As they run towards us, I lay Cheetara on the closest bed.

"Alright Cheetara. You'd better whip your pyjama bottoms off. No need to be modest." Pumyra says as she puts one of the towels beneath my wife.

Cheetara pulls off her pyjama bottoms and her underwear. Pumyra puts one of the blankets over Cheetara's abdomen and lower body.

"Ok. Lion-O. If you're going to stay in here, make sure that you keep Cheetara calm."

I take hold of Cheetara's hand as I say "You're going to be fine. I promise." She looks at me as she says "I know. But it hu..." but she cuts off halfway through her sentence and roars.

"I just need to check the position of the cub and how many centimetres dilated you are." Pumyra says as she pulls on a pair of rubber gloves. She gently presses down on Cheetara's abdomen in different places before saying "He's in the correct position for delivery; he's head down." Cheetara's two inch long claws come forth involuntarily, and she digs them into my hand as she groans. My hand's bleeding, but it was obviously going to happen.

"You're 9cm dilated now, Cheetara. How long have you been in labour?" Pumyra says as she grabs a fresh towel to soak up the blood.

"About ten, maybe twenty minutes now," she grunts, before groaning in agony. Tears stream down her cheeks from the pain.

"Pumyra! I want to push! It's overwhelming!" Cheetara cries, tears streaming freely down her cheeks.

"No. You don't. You're not ready yet!" Pumyra says sternly, and Cheetara digs her claws deep into my hand as she fights against the urge to push. She groans and roars in pain, but I can do nothing but whimper and whine as her claws cut into my flesh. It hurts. I look at my arm and see the shockingly bright red liquid dribbling down my arm and dripping off of my elbow. Everyone calls me a brave, fearless hero, but I can't stand the sight of blood. It's horrible.

"Cheetara, you're nearly 10 centimetres dilated." Pumyra says.

I look up, and see that there is blood on the bed. There's so much of it. Pumyra reaches for a pair of sterile scissors and a warm towel for when the cub has been born, and I can see that she's covered in blood up to her elbows. I can't take this anymore. The room seems to whirl around me, making me feel dizzy and nauseous. I fall out of the chair, on to the floor. My head hits the hard floor, then everything goes black; I've fainted...

**...**

I come to, and my head is pounding. I'm lying on my bed, and Snarf is sitting next to me, pressing an ice pack against my head.

"Sneyarf! Sneyarf! Thank Jaga you're awake, Lion-O!" the little red and yellow cat says as I try to sit up.

"What...What the hell happened?" I groan as I rub my head.

"Reow! Cheetara went into labour and you passed out. You hit your head pretty hard on the corner of the bedside cabinet, so you've got quite a nasty wound. Tygra sutured it the best he could, but Pumyra needs to sort it out properly."

"Shit! Have there been any updates?"

"No. You have been out for quite a while. It's nearly three in the afternoon."

I successfully sit up and haul myself off of the bed, and I start to feel faint headed again. I quickly sit back down again, and Snarf passes me some painkillers and a glass of water as he asks "Headache?"

"Yeah..."

"Mmmmm...Sounds like concussion. Reow! I'll...I'll tell Pumyra once everything's sorted."

I take the tablets from my friend and wash them down with the water. I feel so edgy and nervous, but I suppose that's because I'm going to be meeting my son for the first time in a few hours. Plus, it doesn't help the fact that I know that my mother died giving birth to me.

"Nervous?" Snarf asks as I walk towards the door.

"Yeah. I suppose that's just because I hate waiting."

"Well, you've got to be patient, Lion-O. Reow! Cub birth is a lengthy process; you're going to be waiting for quite some time yet."

I sigh, and then walk out of the door towards the dining room. Maybe after I have something to eat, I'll be able to settle down and get some important work done.

**...**

I pace impatiently outside of the closed door of the infirmary then pause at the sound of the door of the corridor opening. I see Panthro walking towards me.

"Any news?" he asks.

I sigh, then say "No, not yet. Anyway, what are you still doing up? It's really late."

"I couldn't sleep. Something evil's going on; I can feel it."

"I know that feeling all too well."

"You sound just as bad as Cheetara does sometimes."

"I hope that you never let that slip to her face; you know how sensitive she is."

I'm just about to reply, but the sound of a newborn cub crying sounds from behind the door. I look at Panthro and he looks at me. "Panthro, it's..." I say, and he says "I know! Congratulations, Lion-O!"

About fifteen minutes later, the door of the infirmary opens. I stand up as Pumyra walks towards me. She looks awfully tired, and her eyes are bloodshot.

"Lion-O, congratulations! It's a boy! He was delivered at 2:30a.m, weighing 5 pounds and 7 ounces. Cheetara is resting, but requests that she sees you." she says quietly but excitedly.

I follow her into the infirmary, where I see Cheetara lying in one of the beds, holding a snowy white fur blanket. She's softly humming a lullaby, and I can hear the pitiful mewing of a newborn. I slowly approach her then I see the tiny cub wrapped snugly in the blanket, fast asleep.

"Is that..." I say as I stand by my wife's side.

Cheetara softly smiles at me as she says "Yeah. It's our son."

He already has a tiny golden mane and I can clearly see the spots of a cheetah on his shoulders, mixed with the dark brown rosettes of a lion cub down his back and on the underside of his arms. Cheetara's mane is plastered to her face with sweat. Finally, I have an heir to the Thunderian throne; a son to who I can hand down the titles of the Lord of the Thundercats and the King of New Thundera, and to who I can give the Sword of Omens when my time comes.

"I can't believe it, Cheetara." I say as I rest my arm over her shoulders "We've got a son. And he's absolutely perfect."

"Yeah. He's perfect, alright. But he wouldn't stop squealing after he was born until he was fed."

The tiny Thunderian mews then falls silent as Cheetara places her finger in the palm of his hand.

"We just need to settle on a name." she says as she looks at me.

Cheetara moves aside slightly as I gently sit on her bed.

"Are you going to hold him then, Lion-O?" she says softly, her voice like honey. She looks so tired and in need of some sleep. She carefully places the cub into my arms. He mews then opens his eyes, sniffling slightly from being away from the warmth of his mother's chest. Oh, his eyes are so much like Cheetara's. The moment I've been waiting for, for months has finally arrived. I'm a father; I have a son of my own. Tears of joy slowly roll down my cheeks as I look at our newborn son. He's so cute and furry. He yawns then closes his eyes and falls asleep again. "I think I know what we could call him." I say as I gently place him back into her arms.

"What, then?" she asks quietly as the tiny cub snuggles back into her chest

"How about Katzeran? After all, Katze means cat in an ancient First Earth language called 'German', and that's what we are. We're cats."

Cheetara nods and says "Katzeran? Yes, I like the name. Katzeran it is."

I look out of the window, and see the swirling snow flying through the sky in a wild flurry. "Cheetara...look, it's snowing."

"So it is. That's got to be a sign."

I smile down at her, then look back out of the window as the snow falls on the peaceful, silent city; a city that has a prince. A planet that has an heir. The other cities and settlements around the planet have a new ruler. This day marks the start of a new era.

Once we get out of the infirmary, we go back to our room. We don't get much sleep that night because we're both too excited and Cheetara is still sore. We lie in bed with Katzeran. I can clearly see the brown rosettes on his back as I lie with him on my chest. We finally have a cub of our own. We have a family within a family. I hold him in my arms again as I sit up then I slowly wave my finger in front of his eyes. He mews, trying to catch my finger as his claws come forth slightly. I laugh then watch as he yawns and falls asleep. "We'd better put down for some sleep now." I say as I pass him to Cheetara. Trying her best to not wake him up, she places Katzeran into the Moses Basket by her side of the bed then tucks him in. Then, we fall asleep ourselves...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"_Mumm-ra! MUMM-RA! Get your sorry ass out of your sarcophagus this instant!"_

I growl with rage as the lid of my sarcophagus slides open. I walk out as I say "Why have you disturbed my rest again, oh, ancient ones?"

"_Look into the magical cauldron, and you will see why these current circumstances are of upmost importance!"_

I walk up to the cauldron as Ma-mutt takes a running jump into my arms. As I stand over the vibrant purple liquid, an image starts to form itself in the water. I feel the rage welling up inside of me at the sight of Lion-O and Cheetara lying in their bed, holding a bundle of white blankets, in which their newborn son lies peacefully sleeping.

"_Lion-O and Cheetara's son has been born, Mumm-ra! That means that you have more of a fight on your hands to rid us of those wretched Thundercats! That means that now their son is here, you have to deal with one of the most dangerous Thunderians! He is Lion-O's heir, and you have to kill him before he is old enough to become Lord of the Thundercats!"_

I growl as I watch the pair playing with their new cub. This cannot be! There must be a way to stop this. That cub cannot go on and survive to become the Lord of the Thundercats! There has to be a way of ridding myself of this new pest! There just has to be!

"_Mumm-ra!"_

"Yes, oh ancient ones?"

"_We have a way of ridding ourselves of the wretched cub!"_

"Well, what are you waiting for? Tell me, so that I may rid us of that pest before he grows up!"

"_Take this dagger…"_

I look down as a jet black dagger materializes in the water. The blade is serrated and jagged, and the handle is polished to a mirror's shine.

"_And go to the __Ölümün Pençesi with the cub. Kill the wretched thing, and offer its body to us and we will reward you royally! Make it look as if the Wolfman Sebastian did it!"_

"Of course, mighty ancient ones. It shall be done!" I say as I take the dagger from the cauldron, then as I turn to go back to my sarcophagus, I mutter beneath my breath "But getting into that place will not be easy; walking out with the newborn prince will be even harder! I must recover my strength!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I look down at my son as I spoon porridge into my mouth; he's fast asleep on my left arm, dressed in his white sleep suit. He purrs then mews before snuggling deeper into my chest. I smile softly as he yawns in his sleep then slightly opens his eyes, showing the tiniest amount of his brownish-orange eyes. Katzeran stretches, his freshly clipped claws coming forth slightly and pressing against the material of his clothes. He rolls over then grabs at my fur, his claws digging into my skin.

"Aww, he's so cute!" Wilykit whispers as she looks at him as he sleeps peacefully.

Suddenly, the door opens, startling him. He wakes up and squirms, bumping his head on my arm. He starts crying as I turn around. Cheetara walks up to the table and sits down. She looks really rough; her face is ashen in colour and her mane is tangled. I guess she's still in a lot of pain from giving birth a few days ago. As she sits by my side, Snarf passes me a bottle of warm milk for Katz.

Cheetara helps herself to some toast as she says "How can you still be awake after last night?"

I laugh slightly as I ease the teat of the bottle into Katzeran's mouth then say "I guess it's just the adrenaline. He's was asleep for an hour and a half, but you coming in woke him up." Katzeran starts to greedily guzzle down the milk as he hiccups. For a cub less than a day old, he takes a lot of milk in one sitting.

Once he finishes the bottle, he starts crying afresh. I rest him over my shoulder then rub his back. He burps slightly before coughing, then makes a vomiting sound. I feel something warm and wet trickle down my back and over my shoulder, and I know that Katz has just puked down my back.

Cheetara laughs as I hastily pass her our grizzly cub. "It's all in your mane and down your back!" she says as Katzeran nuzzles his face into her chest, leaving vomit on her dressing gown.

"I'd better go and get changed..." I grumble as we get up.

"I know. I need to have a shower then get dressed." Cheetara says as we walk out of the room. I push the door of our room open as we walk in, and Katzeran mews and yowls in annoyance as Cheetara puts him into his cot. I pull my shirt off then throw it in to the laundry basket as Cheetara passes me a clean one from the wardrobe.

When she walks into the bathroom, she says "Lion-O, can you change Katz for me?" I look at the tiny litah as he lets out a lusty cry, his hands curled tightly into fists. I carefully lift the cub out of his cot then lie him on his back before grabbing the change bag.

I unbutton his sleep suit before undoing his nappy. When I lift him up to get it out from underneath him, my chest gets warm and wet. I look down, and see that Katzeran is peeing on my chest.

I can hear Cheetara laughing from the doorway. "It looks like Katzeran is marking you as his territory." she says as she passes me a towel. I dry my chest off as I say "At least I didn't have the top on."

Once Katz is sorted, I lie him back in his cot. I can't get the scent of Litah urine out of my fur, but it's very faint. As I turn to walk to the bathroom, Katzeran starts crying afresh. I sigh before picking him up again. He won't pipe down. "He'll get used to being cuddled every time he starts crying for attention." Cheetara says as she walks in.

"I know, but I don't want to hear him start crying like he did last night. I've still got a horrific headache…" I mutter as I pass the tiny cub to Cheetara, who gently coos and rocks him in her arms, trying to soothe him. Howether, he doesn't stop crying; he starts squealing and crying even louder.

My wife sighs then sits down on the bed, trying to calm the youngster, but he's having none of it.

"Oh, Katzeran, what's wrong?" the cheetah whispers as she rubs his back.

He eventually starts to quieten down, but still sniffles and snuffles slightly as Cheetara cuddles him.

"I wonder what made him cry like that. I don't think he's hungry, and he's slept for a few hours." I say as she lies him back down and puts some of the blankets back on top of him

"Maybe he's uncomfortable. It is pretty chilly."

My wife lays the back of her hand across the cub's forehead. "He does feel pretty warm. Perhaps he's too hot."

She takes off one layer of the blankets that are on him, making him startle slightly.

That's when the alarms blare, making our son start crying afresh.

"Damn it! Cheetara, you stay here!" I shout as I run out of the door.

"Lion-O!"

I turn to look at Tygra as he runs alongside me.

"Tygra, what is it?" I ask as we run towards the control room.

"Mutants approaching Cats' Lair! Mumm-ra is with them!"

"Shit! We need to keep him away from Cheetara! Jaga knows what he'll do to them if he finds her!"

"Lion-O,"

I turn to look at the tiger again as he says my name. He passes me the Sword of Omens and Claw Shield as he says "I meant to give you them back earlier, but with you going back to your room, I didn't get a chance to."

I slip my hand into the Claw Shield and unsheathe the Sword. "Thanks, Tygra."

"Just don't kill anyone this time!"

I laugh at the tiger's comment then carry on, past the damage from the fire that Mumm-ra set on the Lair. A young cougar runs up to us and stops before us as she salutes to us.

"At ease. Have the ThunderGuard been notified?" I ask as I hear voices shouting from outside. The cougar relaxes then says "Yes, sir. That was the first thing I did. The troops have been rallied and are waiting for your command to move."

"Have them form a protective barrier at the gates. Don't let the Mutants get in!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the cougar says as she salutes me again, then she hurries off...

**...**

"Lion-O! _HELP!_"

I hear Cheetara screaming from inside our room. The mutants must have found her!

"I thought that you put guards on your doors!" Sebastian says as we run side by side up the stairs.

"I...I did..." I pant as I turn around and point the Sword at a dog-like mutant, then I roar "HO!"

A blue bolt of electricity shoots from the Sword before hitting the creature full on in the face. It yelps in pain then turns and flees as I sheathe the Sword, blood dripping from a hefty wound on the side of its face.

"The cowards! They must have run!"

We run into the corridor, and I see that the guards that are supposed to be guarding the door are both lying in front of the entrance...only...their heads had been torn clean off, and their weapons had been rammed through their chests. Unable to stand the gruesome sight, I run into the bedroom.

"Give me the cub, Cheetara, and no-one gets hurt!"

Both me and Sebastian stop in our tracks. Mumm-ra is standing before Cheetara, who is protectively holding Katzeran against her chest.

"You're not getting our son, Mumm-ra!" I snarl as me and Sebastian step forward, the Wolfman drawing his double katanas as I place my hand on the handle of the Sword of Omens, my fingers closing around the cold metal.

The vile mummy cackles then says "And what can you do to stop me from taking your son from you, boy?"

He takes one more step towards Cheetara; I tear the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield as I roar. The Sword springs to life upon my touch, sounding its customary roar as I growl "Take one more step towards my wife and cub, and I swear to God, I will fucking kill you!"

"Oh really? You killed Rataro, and look where that got you!"

He laughs again before continuing to press Cheetara into the corner. I roar again and prepare to attack. "Lion-O! Don't!" Sebastian says, but I ignore the Wolfman; I launch myself over the bed at the ancient devil priest, who grabs me by my arms then throws me against the bookcase.

My breath is brutally knocked from my body as my chest hits the hard wooden bookcase. I groan in pain then start to get up, but the bloody thing wobbles precariously before falling over, right on top of me. I hear my back crack, then something heavy falls on top of my head; I'm forced to watch through half open eyes as Mumm-ra snatches Katz from my wife...then I black out...

_**A few days earlier...**_

"_**Lion-O,"**_

_**I look up as Lysander says my name. My wrists are hurting so much, but I can't rub them because I'm bound in handcuffs.**_

"_**You are guilty of murdering Rataro, who just so happened to be the general of the Plun-darrian army..."**_

"_**He fucking deserved it!" I snarl, cutting the lion off halfway through his sentence.**_

_**He coughs before continuing "And as you are explicitly aware, murder is an act that is strictly forbidden by the Code of Thundera. Your actions were utterly shameful to the code, and the Plun-darrian Council have demanded for you to be passed over to them so that you may be executed for your crimes, but we are not going to do so."**_

_**My heart is pounding in my chest so hard that I can hear my blood pumping in my ears. My throat and tongue feel as dry and rough as sandpaper.**_

"_**So what does that mean for me?" I ask nervously.**_

"_**You are going to be severely punished to the severity of your crimes. No Lord of the Thundercats has ever been put on trial for murder before; you are in fact the first."**_

"_**And that's supposed to make me feel even better?"**_

"_**Yes, because that means that no rules are currently in place. The rules will be put in place here forth, meaning that any future Lord of the Thundercats can be tried."**_

"Lion-O...Lion-O, can you hear me?"

I open my eyes. I'm still lying on the floor, and the bookcase is being lifted off of me by Sebastian.

"Cheetara, pull him out! I can't hold this thing for much longer!" the Wolfman says as he struggles to hold the bookcase up. My wife drags me out from underneath, and Sebastian lays the bookcase back down.

"Are you ok, kid?" he asks as I sit up. I gingerly rub my back as I say "I guess so...don't feel so good..."

"Well, it kinda sounded as if your spine snapped, but you wouldn't be able to move if that happened. You wouldn't be able to feel anything, either."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I look down at the young litah cub as he snuggles deeper into the fur blankets that he's wrapped in. He started crying when I took him from Cheetara, and hasn't stopped once. As I climb the steps of the mountain, the little wretch grabs a fistful of my bandages and snuggles into my chest, purring contently. For a Thunderian less than a few days old, he already has a striking resemblance to his pathetic excuse of a father. Snow swirls in front of my face as I quickly make my way up to the top of the mountain. I know that Lion-O and Cheetara aren't very far behind me; I can hear the lion screaming at me in an ancient language, most likely Thunderian.

Thunder rumbles overhead and lightning streaks through the sky as the snow starts to turn to sleet.

"_Kill the child, Mumm-ra! Kill the cub!"_

The dagger digs into my hip as I run. "Don't worry, oh, ancient ones! It shall be done!" I say as Katzeran starts crying again.

I should feel proud of myself! I've got Lion-O and Cheetara's baby; their newborn son. Walking into that hell-hole of a fortress wasn't very easy, but walking out with the newborn Prince of New Thundera was practically impossible.

Once I reach the top of the mountain, I see the stone altar standing alone and dismal against the inky black sky. I walk up to it, and place the cub on his back on the icy cold stone and start to unwrap the blankets from around his tiny body. I then unsheathe the dagger from my hip, and am surprised to find that the edges of the blade are dripping with a foul green fluid; poison.

I raise it above my head and begin to chant in Ancient Egyptian as the pathetic little creature starts squawking, but the second I bring it down, I hear Lion-O scream "HO!"

I turn around and see the bright blue ball of electricity bolting towards me, which hits me in the back, but it doesn't harm me. Merely singed, I turn to look at the Thundercat and cackle "You're far too late, Lion-O!"

He growls viciously and steps towards me as Cheetara stops beside him. The fool never learns anything!

I raise a hand and point at Lion-O as I chant in Ancient Egyptian again; a bright red beam shoots from my fingertips, smashing into the lion's chest with such force that it sends him flying; he disappears over the edge of the mountain as Cheetara screams, obviously plummeting to his death, then I turn my attention back to the cub lying on the sacrificial altar, crying and screaming for his mother as I grin, raising the dagger again.

"Time to finish the job!"

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**The Thundercats are forced to make changes to the guard system now that Katzeran, the Prince of New Thundera has been born, but when the lives of some of their ranks are put in danger, will they be able to rescue them before Mumm-ra destroys them? Now that Lion-O has got his rank and title back as Lord of the Thundercats, he has even more burdens put on him than ever before, but when he's plagued by terrible nightmares of times to come, the outcomes for the young lion are looking dark. Are they just coincidental, or are they a warning to him? Now that he has a son to care for, how will he cope with not only the burdens of being the Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera...but also the stresses of being a new father?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	17. Chapter 16: Light 'Em Up

_**A/N: This chapter has taken me longer than I was bargaining for. First of all, I wasn't allowed the laptop charger, then I was suffering from severe writer's block. Either way, I managed to get this chapter done none-the-less. So, enjoy.**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, adult themes and explicit language. **_

_**Date started (Chapter): Thursday 9**__**th**__** July 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Tuesday 21**__**st**__** July 2015**_

_**Song/s: Light 'Em Up by Fall Out Boy**_

Chapter 16: Light 'Em Up

I open my eyes to a sickening pain in my right temple. I'm lying on my side at the bottom of a steep cliff. Surely if I fell from there, I'd be dead? There's blood gushing down my face, and I feel sick and disorientated. My memory is hazy. I try to get up, but my right arm is throbbing. Have I somehow broken a bone in my arm?

I push myself up onto my knees, but the nausea gets the better of me, and I collapse back onto my front. The sleet has turned into a torrential downpour; I'm soaked through down to my skin. How am I still alive?

It try to get up again, and I actually manage to this time. I'm lying is a shallow stream, and there's a sharp stone where my head was.

I push myself up to my feet and as I stand up, I hear Cheetara scream "NO!"

I grab the Sword of Omens from where it lies discarded on the rocks as lightning streaks through the sky overhead and an almighty clap of thunder cracks the air. Mumm-ra is going to pay for what he has done. I start to make my way towards the path, the rain having turned most of the snow into a cold, muddy slush.

Blood runs down my body from the various cuts and gashes that cover my body from the fall. I can hear steel clashing upon steel, but Cheetara doesn't have a sword. Unless I dropped my hunting knife, which kind of doubles as a sword because of its sheer length.

I run as fast as I can up the steep mountain path, my feet slipping on the thoroughly drenched grass. By the time I reach the mountain top, I see Mumm-ra and Cheetara wrestling on the ground. I can hear Katzeran crying, but I don't know who to go to first.

Eventually, my natural instinct kicks in and I run to my cub, who is pale and soaked through to the skin. I carefully pick him up then turn to look back at my wife and the ancient devil priest as they continue to fight relentlessly. I'm sick of this.

My grip tightens on the hilt of the Sword of Omens as I roar

"Thunder...Thunder...Thunder...Thundercats, HO!"

The cat symbol bolts from the Sword and shines bright in the dim sky.

"That puny symbol isn't going to help you, Lion-O!" I hear Mumm-ra snarl.

"Lion-O! Look out!"

I turn around to look at him, only to be hit with such force that I'm sent crashing to the floor. Cheetara grabs Katzeran just in the nick of time to stop him from hitting the floor.

Mumm-ra presses me down and laughs at my attempts to get him off of me.

"Aww, is that all that you've got? Pathetic!" the ancient devil priest jeers as I try to reach for the Claw Shield on the ground next to me, leaving myself open to attack; Mumm-ra clamps his hands down on my throat and starts to squeeze tightly. I choke, desperately struggling for air as he continues to cut off my windpipe.

He covers my mouth and nose with his right hand as he continues to choke me. I bite into his palm, sinking my long fangs into his flesh in order to try and get him off of me, but it isn't working.

My head is pounding and my chest is burning. I kick at Mumm-ra's chest and stomach as I grab hold of his arms and try to force him off of me. My claws involuntarily spring forth and I tear at his skin.

"Lion-O, hold on! I'll get you out!" I hear Cheetara say, but I can't respond to her.

She presses the Claw Shield into my hand, so I slip it on and lash out at Mumm-ra; the sharp iron claws pierce his flesh and shred at his bandages as the shield hits him in the face. He roars in pain as thick, chunky blood drips on to my face. The ancient devil priest lets me go and cups his bleeding face in his hands.

"I'll make you pay for that, cub!" he snarls as he unsheathes the Sword of Plun-darr.

"Trying to scare me, now? Now who's pathetic? You should have learned. I'm not a coward like you. I never run from a fight with my tail between my legs!" I growl as we clash. Sparks fly from the blades of the two swords as steel grinds against steel.

"You may have had countless victories in your life, Lion-O, but soon, your winning streak will be over! I'll come out victorious one day! You just wait and see! And all of New Thundera will bow at my feet, including you!" Mumm-ra growls as we try to push each other back. His right foot snakes out and locks around my left ankle, and he trips me up. I roll over and watch as the mummy puts a heavy foot on my chest before he raises the Sword of Plun-darr above his head.

"I am the ever-living, but you time is up!"

Before he can plunge the blade into my chest, I point the Sword of Omens at him and shout "HO!"

A bright blue beam of electricity shoots from the Sword and strikes Mumm-ra clean in the abdomen. He roars as he is sent flying, and the Sword of Plun-darr is sent spiralling from his hand as he hits the floor.

Panting, I get to my feet as I hear the familiar engines of the Thunderstrike getting louder. I then turn to face Cheetara as she walks towards me, our son held safely against her chest for warmth and comfort.

"Lion-O, are you alright? He didn't look like he was going to let you go any time soon." my wife says as we both turn to look at Mumm-ra, who has reverted back to his weakest form. The mummy throws a glance at me as he snarls "This isn't over, Lion-O!"

I growl before taking a step forwards, but he disappears into thin air.

As the Thunderstrike lands behind us, I look at Cheetara as she stands by my side. "How in Thundera did you survive the fall off of that cliff? It's a drop of over 50ft, straight onto sharp rocks. Forgive me for saying, but in all rights, you should be dead..." she says as Pumyra, Tygra and Sebastian come running up to us.

"We got here as quickly as we could," the Wolfman says as he stops before me "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah. We're just a bit wet..." I say sarcastically as we walk back to the Thunderstrike "Not to mention that Mumm-ra nearly killed Katzeran."

Cheetara hands the tiny litah to Pumyra, who takes him in to the Thunderstrike to dry him off and get him into some warm, dry clothes.

"At least you got him back safely." Sebastian says, then as I walk past him to go into the vehicle, he says "Lion-O, you do know that with him being so young that Katz is very likely to get really sick, don't you?"

I sigh as I take my seat then say "Yeah, I know, Sebastian."

"Hey, are you ok? You seem really glum lately? What's pissing you off?"

I sigh deeply again before saying "Who do you think?"

Sebastian's ears lower against his head as he snarls "Mumm-ra."

"Yup..."

"I can understand where you're coming from there. I can remember when I was back on Plun-darr and he told me that I was to be exported to New Thundera. Howether, the People of Plun-darr demonized you, making you seem like a merciless, unforgiving tyrant of a king who was bloodthirsty and always had a desire to wage war against all other life forms to become the superior beings. To be honest with you, I was terrified in case I ran in to you; I didn't want to get slaughtered by the 'mean monster lion'." the Wolfman says, which makes us both crack up laughing.

"Ah, well, we'd better get back to Cats' Lair." I say as Lynx-O powers the vehicle up.

Within seconds, the craft is airborne. As we speed through the storm towards the Lair, I feel safe for once in the past few months. I've just felt so insecure from the never ending threat from Mumm-ra, the Mutants, and the Lunataks. The Lunataks have been laying low for the time being; we haven't heard anything from them for close to two years since we beat them in a major battle, which nearly cost us our lives.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Claudus,"

I turn around as I hear someone approaching. "Jaga, is that you?"

"Yes, old friend."

The footsteps stop by my side, and the old jaguar says "You'd be proud if you knew how your sons are doing."

"How can I know when I cannot see?"

I feel his arm lie across my shoulders as he says "I can assure you that both Lion-O and Leo are doing well, but the pair near enough hate each other."

I feel my heart start thumping in my chest.

"Leo's alive? They're both alive?" I ask as I turn around.

"Yes, and Lion-O is married to Cheetara, and they recently had a son."

"That's great news. I can remember the day that Leo and Lion-O were born like it was only yesterday," I say, then I sigh as I remember what that day meant "That day was both the best and worst day of my life..."

"Because of what happened to Leandra?"

"Yeah."

"Claudus, Leandra gave her life so that Lion-O could live. Aren't you happy that both of your sons survived childbirth and that they both lived to see adulthood?"

"Yes, but even though I chose Lion-O to be the King of Thundera and Lord of the Thundercats, I never paid enough attention to him. Leo always had most of my attention, and Lion-O was mostly ignored."

"Because of what happened to Leandra when he was born?"

"Yes, but I severely regret it now. It wasn't fair on him, but it's now too late to reverse that. I knew it wasn't his fault that Leandra died, but I wasn't in control of myself."

I can remember everything from that day clearly. I knew that twin pregnancies are very risky when it comes to the birthing process, and Leandra died because she lost too much blood. I can remember Cheetara bringing Lion-O to me shortly after he was born, limp and nearly lifeless because he was deprived of oxygen for a few minutes.

_**I come to a stop before the door to mine and Leandra's room. Heart pounding in my chest, I knock on the door, and a voice says "Come in."**_

_**I push the door open and when I walk in, I see Leandra lying in the bed with a little bundle of blankets in her arms. As I walk up to her, I see the tiny lion cub lying in the blankets. Cheetara is in here too, as Leandra had begged her to stay with her. Our lives had changed forever when we found out that we would be having identical twin boys. One is already here.**_

"_**Where's the other one? Surely he's ok, isn't he?" I ask as one of the midwives checks our firstborn son.**_

"_**He hasn't been born yet, my lord. He's in an unfavourable position for delivery, so unless he can drop into position, then a Caesarean Section will be required. It's been an hour since the first was born, and..." The pumiger doesn't get a chance to finish her sentence before my wife screams in agony. "The second cub's coming!" she screams as Cheetara quickly takes the first cub from her.**_

_**I immediately run to Leandra's side and take hold of her hand as she groans.**_

"_**This isn't good!" I hear one of the midwives say as she checks my wife.**_

"_**What? What isn't good?" I ask, but I don't receive an answer.**_

"_**Pager the head of surgery and tell him that they need to prep the OR for an emergency Caesarean Section!"**_

"_**Claudus..." Leandra says as she weakly looks at me with her bright emerald green eyes "Wha...What's going on?"**_

"_**I...I d...I don't know..."**_

_**I watch as my wife is moved to a stretcher, then she's hurried off to surgery...**_

"I can remember it all so clearly. I really do wish that I had been in there with her so that I could have been with her."

Jaga sympathetically pats my shoulder as he says "I know how you feel. My wife died shortly after giving birth to our second daughter. I understand the pain that you went through that day, my friend. But, she always lives on in you. Plus, she's here in the Astral Plane, and you know that."

"I know, but I cannot see her beautiful face because I am blind."

"But you can still hear her voice, and feel her touch."

"I know, but it isn't the same."

I sigh then turn away sadly. I lost my sight when the wretched Mutants raided Cats' Lair. Somehow, Slithe managed to find my sons and was just about to kill them when I found him. I was blinded by an extremely bright flash from one of the reptile's laser guns. Leo and Lion-O were both only four at this time, and I didn't see them grow up like I wanted.

"_**Claudus?"**_

_**I look up from my desk as Cheetara walks in to the room, carrying a tiny bundle of blankets in her arms. I walk up to her and see the tiny lion cub in the blankets, who is considerably smaller than the other cub.**_

"_**He's absolutely tiny." I say as the cheetah places him in my arms.**_

"_**And he barely weighs anything. He's only three pounds and six ounces; he'll be lucky to survive." Cheetara says as she stands up.**_

"_**I look up from the tiny cub in my arms then say "But how's Leandra? She's ok, isn't she?"**_

_**Cheetara sighs heavily. This can't be good.**_

"_**Claudus, Leandra lost a lot of blood. She's in a critical condition, but she's stable for the time being. The odds aren't looking good for her."**_

_**I feel the hot tears of pain and despair trickling down my cheeks. "Oh god...no...no, not Leandra..." I say as I look down, my eyes firmly shut.**_

_**I feel a friendly hand settle on my shoulder as Cheetara says "You can come and see her, but she isn't in the best condition for visitors, but it'll be better if you saw her; she hasn't seen this little one yet."**_

_**I carefully stand up and follow her out of the door, down the corridor, and to the infirmary. When we walk in, I see Leandra lying limply in one of the beds, with the first cub next to her.**_

"_**Leandra?"**_

_**My wife weakly opens her eyes and looks at me. "C…Cl…Claudus?" she says as I walk up to her "Wha…What happened? I…Is th…Is the cub ok?"**_

_**I sit down in the chair by her bedside and hold the tiny cub up so that she can see him.**_

"_**He…He's so…so small." she says as I gently place him in to her arms. The tiny lion starts squirming slightly, letting out a squeaky yet lusty cry.**_

_**Leandra chuckles weakly then says "He's a spirited little lad." She holds him close to her and as he takes a fistful of her long red mane, she says "You look just like your daddy, you do. Both you, and your older brother."**_

_**I gently lift the older cub from the cot and cradle him in my arms as I take my wife's hand. "What are we going to name them? We thought of so many names, and it's going to be a hard choice." I ask as the cub in my arms purrs then opens his eyes.**_

"_**Well," Leandra says as the lion in her arms starts snuffling slightly "I was thinking about 'Leöncha' for the oldest. It's Thunderian for 'Messenger of the Gods', and in Standard, it means Leo."**_

_**I nod in approval, then say "But what about the youngest?"**_

_**Leandra looks blank.**_

"_**L…Leandra?"**_

_**I feel her hand go cold; I can't detect a pulse.**_

"_**Leandra? LEANDRA!" I cry as I gently shake her arm. Her chest isn't rising nor falling; she isn't breathing.**_

_**I take the youngest cub from her arms, and as she lets go of my hand, I hear her faint voice whisper "L'ûencho…" Then, I'm ushered out of the infirmary. L'ûencho? It means 'The Seer' or 'The Prophet' in Thunderian, but in Standard, it means Lion-O...**_

The next morning, I found out that Leandra had been stabilized, but had died during the night. She'd lost too much blood because the placenta didn't detach fully. I can still remember the pain and agony of the news as I hurried to the infirmary, only to find Cheetara sitting on Leandra's bed, holding a letter that my wife had wrote before she died.

Tears come unbidden to my eyes at the memory, and I feel Jaga slip his arm around my shoulders. I wipe my eyes on the back of my hand, then I let Jaga guide me to where we are going.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"_LION-O!"_

I nearly drop the glass pitcher full of candyfruit juice as I hear Cheetara scream. I quickly get everything put down on the side as I run towards Lion-O and Cheetara's room, and when I'm nearly there, I almost get run over by Lion-O as he races from the room.

"Sneyarf! Sneyarf! Lion-O, is everything ok? Reow, what's wrong with Cheetara?" I ask as I stand up on my tail, but the lion pushes me out of the way as he says "Get out of my way, Snarf! I don't have enough time to speak!"

I walk in to the room, where I see Cheetara looking over Katzeran, who seems to be caught in the middle of a coughing fit as he lies in his Moses Basket.

"Cheetara…reow, what's going on? What's wrong with Katzeran?" I ask as I stand next to Cheetara.

I look down at Katzeran as he mews feebly before coughing a few more times.

"He's sick. He refused to feed earlier, and he's done nothing but alternate between periods of crying and periods of sleep. He threw up all over Lion-O earlier, and has done nothing but sleep since."

"Y'know, his temperature _is _pretty high, Cheetara." I say as I place the back of my right paw against the litah cub's forehead; his skin and thin fur are hot and sweaty.

Cheetara gently lifts him out of the basket and rests him over her shoulder and rubs his back as he starts coughing again.

"I just don't know what to do, Snarf. I've tried everything to cool him down, but nothing's working. It just came on so suddenly. I woke up this morning because he'd started crying, but he refused to feed, which is unlike him, and when I noticed that he was feverish, I woke Lion-O up." She says, and she sounds so close to tears.

"Yeah. I heard you scream from downstairs in the kitchen," I say as Katz starts snuffling "Y'know, I can remember that time when Lion-O got really sick when he was Katzeran's age. Poor little mite. He was a really sickly baby. At night, he wouldn't settle. Katzeran is definitely a quieter cub than he was; Lion-O screamed the Lair down every night, and nothing that Claudus did could soothe him."

I sniff nervously and stand up on my tail.

Katzeran starts crying as Cheetara lies him back down in the Moses Basket before pressing a cold compress on to the cub's forehead.

"Reow, poor little guy. I hate seeing them so ill. What's worse is that he's suffering from what Lion-O had, but Lion-O was having seizures and would eat, but he'd bring it all back up onto whoever held him."

"I can remember that too well. We all thought that he wouldn't survive the winter."

Suddenly, the door opens and Lion-O himself walks in, followed by Pumyra.

"My ears were burning. Talking about me again?" he says as Pumyra carefully presses a stethoscope on to Katzeran's chest.

"Hmmm, he's wheezing, and it sounds as if he's struggling to breathe." Pumyra says as she looks back up at us, making my heart start pounding. All of the colour floods from Lion-O's face, and Cheetara lets out a strangled sob. This can't be happening!

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"**Lion-O! Lion-O, help!"**

"**Hold on, Cheetara! I'm coming!"**

**I run through the thick forest, cutting a clear path with the Sword of Omens. I can hear the engines of the Skycutters above, and the echo of laser fire in the clearing before me. Sweat trickles down my back as I run. I've got to get to Cheetara before anything happens to her.**

**I come to the clearing, and the second I come into the opening, something, or someone, grabs me and tackles me to the ground as the Sword of Omens spirals out of my hand.**

"**We've got him, Slithe!" I hear Jackalman snigger as my wrists and ankles are bound together, then I'm dragged towards where the Skycutters are waiting, and I'm thrown to the ground.**

"**Where were you going to, Lion-O?" Slithe snaps as he forces me to look at him by grabbing a large handful of my mane and pulling my head back.**

"**What does it matter to you, Mutant?" I snarl, and Slithe takes Jackalman's dagger, presses my right hand against a tree stump, then drives the blade of the dagger through the back of my hand and into the stump of the tree as I scream in agony.**

"**Tell me!"**

"**NEVER!"**

**Slithe snarls at me with rage, then twists the dagger, tearing my flesh and rupturing arteries and veins as I scream and roar.**

"**Do…Do what you…what you want to me, but…I'll…never…tell…you anything!" I snarl, and whilst I watch in horror, Slithe forces a second dagger into the skin of my arm and drags it upwards, slowly peeling my skin and fur off as I scream and writhe in intense agony. Blood gushes down my arm like a river, but Slithe continues to drag the dagger up my arm, stripping my skin off as he goes. He eventually stops at my shoulder, then he lets me go.**

"**Come on, Slithe. Let's go and ambush Cats' Lair already!" Jackalman says impatiently, but the reptile says "Not yet. I've got unfinished business with lion-O that I need to deal with."**

**Monkian and Jackalman both hold my arms behind my back, and Vultureman hands Slithe a bayonet. Then, pain explodes through my body as I'm stabbed in the stomach several times. Blood gushes down my abdomen as they let me drop to the ground, then Slithe says "Let's get out of here before his little friends come looking for him!"**

**I try to reach for the Sword of Omens, but Jackalman picks it up, then spits on me as I lie dying from sixteen stab wounds…**

**The wind howls overhead and rain starts to pour down as I struggle through the forest. I feel so sick and faint, but I force myself on. My wounds are slowing be down, but I blindly stagger on until I can take no more; I collapse to the floor, and the rotted log that I fall upon shatters, sending me tumbling down into a dark, damp cave. I drag myself into the seemingly only dry corner, and I curl up in a ball as I feel my own heartbeat fading. My world is slowly disappearing, and I can't call the Thundercats to my aid because I no longer have the Sword of Omens. I feel tired, so I close my eyes, and slowly fade into an eternal slumber…**

I wake up gasping in shock. I sit bolt upright and look around the darkened room. I then look at the alarm clock; 01:36a.m.

I feel strange, as if some supernatural force is pushing me out of bed. I get up then walk towards the Sword Chamber. I have no control of my legs; they're just seemingly moving by themselves.

As I enter the Sword Chamber, the Sword of Omens growls upon sensing me in the room. Something is telling me to pick it up, to use its ancient, mystical powers, so I do.

I lift the Sword up, then hold it in front of my eyes as I command "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

The crossbars on the hilt of the sword curl upwards, and the familiar haze fills my mind, but this time, it's black. This isn't right. It's never been like this. Howether, what the Sword of Omens shows me releases me slightly from my trance; I watch as Mumm-ra drugs both Tygra and Snarf, before sending them somewhere. But where?

"Sword of omens, show me more!"

I see the familiar cliff face shaped like a skull, as well as the familiar blood red sands; the Phosphorous Desert on Third Earth…

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**With Tygra and Snarf trapped on Third Earth, a life or death mission is to be established to rescue them, but when Jaga appears to Lion-O and foretells of a Thundercat's death, Lion-O has the difficult choice to make about who comes on the trip to Third Earth, and who stays behind on New Thundera, a choice that ultimately nearly costs him his life, and those of his friends. Will the mission be a success? **_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	18. Chapter 17: Not Gonna Die - Part I

_**A/N: Finally! *squeals with excitement* The new chapter is finally done! After nearly three months! #VictoriousFace! Anyways, I'm sorry that it has taken so long, but I have just moved up into Year 10, and i have to work harder than ever because I have my GCSE's next year... :'(**_

_**Hope you enjoy it! :3**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, adult themes and explicit language. **__**!CHARACTER DEATH!**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Thursday 23**__**rd**__** July 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Monday 14**__**th**__** September 2015**_

_**Song/s: Not Gonna Die by Skillet**_

Chapter 17: Not Gonna Die, Part I

"_WHAT?"_

"I don't know how it happened, but it did. The Sword of Omens only showed me Mumm-ra drugging them and that they were on Third Earth in the Phosphorous desert, not how he managed to get to them or how he sent them there." I say as I sit back in my seat and put my feet up on the table. Usually, if Snarf was here, he'd lightly hit me around the back of my head with a wooden spoon for putting my feet up on the table, especially if I was wearing my boots.

Snarfer purrs anxiously as he jumps up onto my shoulders, and then says "What are we going to do about rescuing them? We can't just leave them there; they'll die!"

I gently grab Snarfer under his arms and hold him in front of me as I say "Trust me, Snarfer. We'll get them back safely, I promise."

"But how can you be sure?"

He purrs nervously, then turns to look at Sebastian as the Wolfman says "You can trust us, Snarfer. As you should know by now, you can trust Lion-O because he keeps his promises."

I turn to look at Cheetara, who is cradling a very sick Katzeran in her arms. She picks up a bottle of warm milk and tries to get Katz interested in drinking it, but our son isn't having any of it. "Is there anything that you can do to help Katzeran whilst we're away on the mission, Pumyra?" I ask the puma as she sits down next to Bengali.

"There is a medicine that can cure influenza and we need to make a new batch, but our stores of the ingredients are running low. We'll have to go to your brother for some of the ingredients." she says as Katzeran starts squealing. After last night's 'joyful' time being kept awake for a few hours by our son's screaming, then waking up from that nightmare, I have a pounding headache and I just want some sleep.

"Sneeyarfer, Sneeyarfer! Good luck with that, Pumyra. Leo's a spiteful little..."

"SNARFER! That's my brother you're talking about!" I snap as I shoot a stern look at the red and yellow cat.

He shies away as Pumyra walks out of the room, and says "Well, he is different from who he was when he was a cub. Uncle Snarf told me about how he used to adore you when you were both younger; he's different now."

I sigh then say "Well, on with the discussion. As for the current stance with both Snarf and Tygra being stuck in the Phosphorous desert, a plan needs to be devised. I will take four of you with me to Third Earth in the Feliner, and the rest of you will stay here and man Cats' Lair. Cheetara will be in charge whilst we're gone because I will be taking Bengali, Sebastian, Lynx-O and Snarfer. It will be dangerous, but if we take all of the correct precautions, we should get everyone back alive."

"But what if that isn't possible?"

"Trust me, it will be. I can promise you that, Snarfer." I say, but the little cat purrs with anxiety.

"Sneeyarfer! But why do you want me to go with you? I'm not a warrior!"

"I know that, but you're an expert in electronics. We might need you for this rescue mission." I say as I gently pat his shoulders. I'm surprised that Jaga hasn't tried to warn me about anything. Usually, he appears to me and gives me some random smarmy speech about not rushing into the situation without thoroughly thinking. I turn to Cheetara and see that she's struggling with Katzeran, who won't stop squirming and crying as my wife tries to eat her breakfast.

"Here, let me take him." I say as I take our tiny cub from her. The litah starts crying harder as I gently rub his back. He coughs and splutters, each breath for air violently shaking his tiny, frail body, leaving him too startled to even continue crying. "I swear, Lion-O," Cheetara says as I carefully eat some of my toast "He looks more and more like you every day. But, you do realize that we might want to be careful when he gets older. Hopefully, he _won't _be a little shit like you were. You ran us and your father around in circles, and you drove Snarf mad. Plus, there was the time where you got arrested."

I chuckle slightly as Pumyra walks back into the dining room, carrying a bottle of deep pink medicine and a syringe. "I've got some medicine, but it isn't the medicine that can cure influenza. He might object about it and try to spit it out, but he needs to swallow it. It should help the illness subside until we have the proper medicine." she says as she takes the bottle of milk and puts a syringe of the medicine in the milk. She hands it back to me so I try to put the teat in Katzeran's mouth, and this time, he starts to hungrily down it.

"Well, we do still need a proper plan. We can't just rush in without a plan." Sebastian says as he polishes his katana.

"Can't we come, Lion-O? We're _always _stuck in the Lair, doing all of the boring stuff when we could be with you, helping kick some Mutant ass!" Wilykit says, so I reply "You can't come because it's too dangerous for a pair of kittens like you. Sure enough, you_ are_ both now 14, but you're too young for a proper battle; you could be killed. No. I'm not going to risk anything. You're still too young."

"Aww...Lion-O! PLEASE?"

"NO! You're both staying here!" I snarl, raising my voice slightly, making them both jump, as well as Katz. The tiny litah cub starts wailing forlornly again, not quietening down, even when I rub his back and gently rock him in my arms. I rest him on my chest and purr, trying to calm my son down and it works because he stops crying and mews, trying to crawl up my chest. I put him over my shoulder and gently pat his back once he completely finished the bottle of milk, and I feel him grab a handful of my mane.

"Lion-O, watch out! He's gonna..."

Too late, I realize that Katzeran is about to pull my mane; I yelp as he tugs my mane, and when I try to pull him off of me, he clings to me, not letting go as I try to get him off.

"Either way, as for the plan, we'll come low over the Phosphorous Desert from behind and skim across, making sure to keep a low profile as we go over the ruins of the old Cats' Lair." I say as Cheetara takes Katzeran and holds him as he falls asleep.

"Sneeyarfer! Sneeyarfer! This is going to be _fun_! Oooooh, yup! Absolutely brilliant!"

I look round at my friends. They all look determined. Tygra and Snarf have been on Third Earth too long already.

"Right then," Panthro says as he stands up "If we're gonna do it, let's do it!"

"THUNDERCATS, _HO_!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

_**Later that day...**_

"_Mumm-ra! Mumm-ra! MUMM-RA!"_

I open my eyes and cautiously raise my head as the lid of my sarcophagus slides across. Ma-mutt impatiently grabs my foot and drags me towards the cauldron.

"What is it, oh mighty Ancient Spirits of Evil?"

"_Look into the cauldron, Mumm-ra, and you shall see why you must prepare yourself!"_

I walk towards the cauldron and wave my hand over the brackish waters, and I see the Feliner flying through the endless vacuum of space; the Thundercats are on their way to Third Earth! I can see Lion-O and Bengali piloting the Feliner, and Sebastian the Wolfman is sitting in the seat behind them, with Lynx-O and Snarfer sitting in the passenger compartment.

I can hear what they're saying clearly, and what I hear makes me roar with laughter:

"How much longer have we got left to go, Bengali?"

"Reowrrrr! Not much longer, Lion-O."

"I don't have such a good feeling about this, Ben. I have a feeling that Mumm-ra is watching us."

"Don't feel so uneasy. I'm sure everything's gonna be fine. You don't need to worry."

"I know...but I can't help it. This could be another trap like the one at the Black Pyramid. It's got the exact same feeling to it..."

"But it isn't a trap."

"You never know..."

I cackle deep in my throat as I pick Ma-mutt up off of the floor and start to stroke him, making him howl in demonic pleasure.

"Well, Lion-O couldn't me more correct! We'll just have to ambush them at the Tower of Omens. What a perfect place for the Lord of the Thundercats to meet his maker! Yes, we'll have to wipe him out!" I say as I walk around the cauldron "And once we do that, the Thundercats will fall in short order. The Sword of Omens shall be ours!"

Ma-mutt whines before trying to lick my face. "Ma-mutt! You damned dog! Stop it!" I snap, and the un-dead hound barks as the image changes in the cauldron, to that of Lion-O lying in the dark, buried in the rubble of a building, bleeding from his head and right leg.

"_Make sure that Lion-O dies, Mumm-ra! Kill him, and you will have ultimate control over New Thundera and Third Earth!"_

I cackle again as I drop Ma-mutt to the floor. "It shall be done, Ancient ones!" I say, then I raise my hands above my head and roar

"ANCIENT SPIRITS OF EVIL! TRANSFORM THIS DECAYED FORM TO MUMM-RA, THE EVER LIVING!"

I feel my bones starting to creak as my body rapidly changes. The bandages and material that covers me disintegrates as my muscle tone increases. "And now to set the trap! The cat trap!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Make sure to bring her in steady, Bengali. Panthro will kill us if we damage the Feliner."

I watch Bengali as he slowly pulls the throttle back. I hear the mighty engines powering down as we descend through the sky.

"She's rigged for silent running so that we won't be detected, Lion-O. We'll be circling around Hook mountain then going over the abandoned Castle Plun-darr, seeing as the Mutants have all now moved onto New Thundera uninvited, and coming up on the Phosphorous Desert from the south. We should be there in roughly fifteen minutes to forty five minutes tops." the young blue and white Bengal tiger says as we fly low over the hunting plains. It's roughly the beginning of autumn on Third Earth, whereas it's the beginning of winter on New Thundera, meaning that the trees are all different colours.

"Y'know, Bengali. Sometimes I really miss living on Third Earth because I didn't have to deal with the job of being the king, but mainly because Mumm-ra, the Mutants and the Lunataks weren't so determined to kill us." I say as we pass over the ruins of the old Cats' Lair.

"So many happy memories, destroyed by the Mutants." I say as I sigh.

"This is where you originally lived before coming to New Thundera?" Sebastian says as he looks out of the window at the ruins "Tygra sure can design some awesome buildings!"

I flip some of the overhead switches before saying "I know. Anyway, prepare for this, guys. We've gotta bank the Feliner and make a 45 degree turn to the left!"

"Lion-O!"

I sigh then say "What is it, Snarfer?"

"Oooooh...have you noticed the giant bat trailing us?"

I look up, and see a massive black shape silhouetted against the sun. "Shit..." I mumble beneath my breath, then I raise my voice then say "Everybody hang on. I'm taking the Feliner low to the ground in hopes that..."

"LION-O! LOOK OUT! ABOVE US!"

I look up and see that the bat is going into a dive above us. As it gets closer to us, I realize that it looks startlingly like...

"MA-MUTT!"

"Hold on!" I shout, then I grab the controls and quickly pull to the left; the Feliner goes into a sharp barrel roll, and Ma-mutt narrowly misses us, letting out an ear piercing screech of annoyance as his talons close on thin air.

"He's coming in for another attack, Lion-O! Have you got any defences installed on this thing?" Sebastian cries as I pull the Feliner into another diving barrel roll.

"Panthro installed manually controlled lasers in the back and the mouth. Sebastian, get back there and man the turrets! We'll try and hold him off! Bengali, you take the controls!" I say as I open the controls for the lasers.

"Alright you, you miserable hound! Wanna play? Well, let's tango!" I say, then I aim the front-most laser at Ma-mutt as he flies towards us "OPEN FIRE!"

The sky is lit up with brilliant bright red flashes as I press the button down on the control stick, strafing Mumm-ra's demonic pet hound with laser fire.

The dog keeps avoiding it, so I continue firing heavily. "Keep firing! Keep firing!" I shout to Sebastian, and he catches Ma-mutt's front left paw; the dog's paw if quickly reduced to a bloody pulp...well...if you can call it blood. It's thick and gelatinous, like thick jelly when it drips onto the windscreen.

"SNEEEEYAAAAARFER! HE'S COMING BACK!"

I watch as Ma-mutt flies back towards us. _"If I can time this just right!" _I think to myself. Ma-mutt screeches as he bears his talons. I open fire again.

The lasers cut through the soft fleshy parts of Ma-mutt's right wing as if they were paper. The thick, clumpy blood flies everywhere and drips from the wounds as Ma-mutt screams. He dives out of the way, so I put the controls of the lasers away then take over flying the Feliner as I say "Stop, Sebastian. I think we've shot at him enough to teach him a lesson!"

"He's back again, Lion-O! SNEEEYAAARFER!"

I look up and see that the wretched dog is flying above us, the wounds on his wings magically healing. He dives for us again, so I pull the Feliner into another steep and sharp barrel roll, to which the craft heavily objects. "Lion-O! If you do any more manoeuvres like that, then this baby will fly to pieces! The Feliner isn't built for barrel rolls!" Bengali shouts as I hear a loud bang from one of the engines. I know what I have to do. "Alright, you mangy mutt! I take it that you still want to play! Well, let's play the ultimate game of chicken!" I say, and then I push the controls forwards and the Feliner pulls into a steep, rapid nosedive.

"LION-O! REOWRRRR, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? PULL UP! WE'LL CRASH! PULL UP! PULL UP!" Bengali screams as the ground rapidly rushes up to meet us. I look out of the windscreen and see that Ma-mutt is doing the same as us.

"LION-O! PULL UP!"

I can see the ground getting even closer. Everyone starts screaming, but I quickly pull the joystick back; the Feliner quickly pulls up, the landing gear skims the grass, the claws creating massive gouges in the ground, but Ma-mutt doesn't realize until it's too late; he cannons into the ground at monumental speed before erupting in a bright flash of crimson light, then I see that he's in his usual canine form.

"Right. Time to get this sorted!" I say, then I pull the Feliner into a fierce right bank, in the direction of Hook Mountain.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"What exactly do we need?"

Pumyra looks at me as I carefully cradle Katzeran in my arms. He coughs a few times before starting to cry.

"We need some rare medicinal herbs that only grow in this area of land, but we require the permission of Lion-O's brother to pick them." the puma says as I rub my cub's back.

This forest gives off a supernatural vibe. As we walk down the winding mud path, I realize that I feel like I'm being watched. I turn and look around behind me, but I can't see anything. Just seemingly endless darkness.

"Pumyra, how did Lion-O survive the fall off of that cliff? It was high enough for him to be dashed to pieces on the rocks below, but he survived it somehow, and only came away with a few cuts, bruises and gashes. That takes a miracle. He should be dead in all rights." I ask as Katz sniffles.

The puma sighs as we walk through the dense forest. It's so dark that I can barely see, but I can see just enough to keep to the path. Katzeran nuzzles into my chest, grabbing at my fur and sucking on his fists as he yawns, then I rub his back again as he starts coughing.

"I don't know how Lion-O survived. He was wounded, but I thoroughly examined him when we got back to the Lair, but the x-rays I had done on him didn't show any internal injuries apart from a slightly bruised ribs and a sprained tendon in his right elbow. He wouldn't let me make too much fuss over his wounds, but I had to stitch up the largest gash down the base of his back."

I sigh slightly before saying "He doesn't like anyone worrying about how injured he is, even if it's serious. If he'd ever get shot in the stomach during a battle, he wouldn't do anything about it until we'd won."

"He takes his pride too far."

I laugh at the puma's comment. It's so true. Lion-O does take his pride too far, and it quite often gets him into trouble. Sometimes, it can get him injured, too. He nearly got himself killed so many times on Third Earth.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"There it is. The Phosphorous Desert."

I look down and see Tygra and Snarf running out from under an outcrop, wildly waving their arms and shouting something.

"Everybody hold on; we're landing the Feliner in the desert. It's gonna be a rough, bumpy landing." I say as I initiate the landing sequence, when the Sword of Omens suddenly roars in warning.

I unsheathe the Sword from the Claw Shield and as I hold it in front of my eyes, I say

"Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

The familiar blue fog seeps into the corners of my mind's eye, and I can instantly tell that something is wrong. I can see nothing but darkness, and a dull breathing noise is just audible to my ears. Then, a pair of deep, blood red eyes start glowing in the darkness. _"Your time is fast running out, cub!" _a voice snarls, then the vision cuts to static.

"Reowr! What did you see, Lion-O?"

"I...I...I don't know. All I saw was darkness, then a pair of blood red eyes appeared, and a voice said that my time is running out fast..."

"I don't like where this is going."

I turn to Sebastian then say "Nor do I, but..."

I'm interrupted by a familiar voice calling my name.

"Lion-O..."

"Jaga!" I say as I look at the jaguar as he materializes in front of me "What's wrong?"

"Lion-O," he says as he looks at me "I have come to warn you about something that is going to happen..."

"What? What's going to happen? Tell me, Jaga." I say, earning a confused look from Sebastian, who obviously does not know that I can talk to the jaguar.

"Lion-O, a Thundercat is going to die from this mission. You need to take extra care. Make sure that you proceed with caution."

I feel my heart skip a beat at the jaguar's words. I finally find my words and say "A...A Thundercat is going to...going to _die_? Who?"

Jaga shakes his head then says "I cannot tell you. It would make your heart break."

I sigh as he disappears. I've gotta try to prevent this.

**...**

"Lion-O! Sneyarf! Thank Jaga you're here! Reow, I thought I'd never see you again!"

I sigh as Snarf jumps into my arms and wraps his little fury arms around my neck, purring as he hugs me. Tygra smiles as he walks up to me. "It's good that you got here when you did, Lion-O. Our water supply was fast running out; I wasn't sure of when it would run out."

I sigh then say "You're extremely lucky."

"I hope that you haven't got to do anything. I should have some equipment at the Tower of Omens that is salvageable." The tiger says as we head for the Feliner.

I sigh slightly. "That shouldn't be a problem," I say as we climb into the Feliner "But I don't think that staying on Third Earth for much longer is a good idea. Jaga appeared to me and warned me that a Thundercat is going to die before we get back to New Thundera."

Tygra stops in his tracks. "Who did he say it would be?" he asks as he makes me look at him "Tell me, Lion-O."

I sense the tiger's unease. I squirm uncomfortably before saying "Y'know, you sound exactly like my father when you say that. Jaga didn't say which one of us would die. Tygra, we can't risk it."

"It's something that we need to avoid, but I can bet who is behind it."

"Well..." I say as I close the door to the hatch "Let's do this, then. We'll go and get the equipment, but on the first sign of danger, we jump ship."

**...**

_**Later that day...**_

"Sneyarf, Sneyarf! I don't like this, Lion-O! Can't we go back to New Thundera?"

I look down at Snarf and say "We can't go back just yet, Snarf. We've got some equipment that needs salvaging from the Tower of Omens."

The little red and yellow cat purrs nervously. "What, you're not _afraid _are you? We've lived on Third Earth for God knows how long." I say as he jumps up onto my shoulders.

"No!" he says, but he falters slightly and continues "Well...Reow! A little...What you said made me worried. What if it's you who's gonna..."

"SNARF!" I snap as I look at him with a serious look in my eyes "It's a one-in-seven chance!"

The red and yellow cat whimpers and cowers from me, before stalking off as he mumbles to himself "That boy'll be the death of ol'Snarf yet! Reow! If he'd only see the danger that is plain in front of his nose..."

I sigh heavily and head towards the entrance where everyone else is waiting. "He's getting too protective over us. Ever since Cheetara fell pregnant with Katzeran, he's been sticking by our sides." I say a we walk into the Tower of Omens. The dry, musky air is thick with the stench of dust, and the scents of the other Thundercats are strong in the air; tiger, panther, puma, lynx, wildcat, Snarf and cheetah, as well as the pungent, overpowering scent of male lion.

"We need to get to my lab." Tygra says as we make our way up the stone staircase. The steps are covered in a thick slimy substance, making climbing them treacherous, but we make it to the top. The main control room is dark and has the strong smell of dust and mildew, which is strange because it's been just less than a year since we left. "Tygra, do you have the torch?" I ask as I struggle to see in the pitch black darkness of the control room. The tiger rummages around in his bag before pulling out one of the torches before passing it to me.

I switch the torch on, illuminating the room in deep shades of bright light. Plant life seems to have overtaken everything, but I don't see how that's possible after only a year. "Bengali," I say as I turn to face the young Bengal tiger "Go with Tygra to the lab and check for any salvageable equipment, and if you find anything, load it on to the Feliner and secure it."

"Will do, Lion-O." the tiger says as he turns around and follows the tiger down the dark corridor.

"Snarfer," I say as I look at the little red and yellow cat "Do you know where the power generators are?"

"Well...Yeah, but..."

"Do you know how to kick-start the generators without the adequate required amount of Thundrainium?"

"Well...Y'see, Lion-O...It isn't exactly _easy_ because without Thundrillium to power the generators, they won't work."

"But is there a chance that it can be activated by an electric pulse from a source of energy?"

"Well...There's a switch can be used to manually override the system, diverting energy from one source to another, but it's not a hundred percent certain that it'll work."

"But there is a chance, right?"

"Well...Sneeyarfer, Sneeyarfer...yeah, but..."

"No buts. Let's go and get this sorted." I say as I start to walk into the corridor.

We make our way down to the generator room, and when we eventually get there, I see that the generators are all completely burnt out, save for the back-up. "Sneeyarfer, Sneeyarfer! Lion-O, that isn't natural. The generators shouldn't be burnt out; we haven't been away from Third earth for long, and they look like they were mostly incinerated, but there isn't any sign of arson anywhere else in the lair. It's almost as if the generators caught fire, but didn't damage anything around it." Snarfer says as we look around the room.

"That's strange..." I say as I kneel down next to one of the generators and run my fingers down the generator; the steel is still hot, but the charred residue comes off onto my fingers. "Shit!" I snarl as my finger burns, singeing my fur slightly "The metal's still really hot!"

"Sneeyarfer, Sneeyarfer! But...Reow...That's not even possible! That fire would have had to have started less than a day ago, and have burned out moments before we got here, but the room doesn't smell of smoke like it should. I don't like this..."

"You sound just like Snarf when you say that. I'm pretty sure that there's a ventilation system that would take the smoke out." I say as I walk over to the backup generator. "Snarfer, go to the power switch and try to switch it on. If not, we'll have to use an electronically generated shock to the system."

"And how would we do that?"

"You're the expert on those things; you tell me."

Snarfer runs up to the power switch on the wall and jumps up onto his tail before grabbing the switch; he drops himself down, and a loud electric crackle echoes through the room, seconds before the lights slowly start to power on. "Snarfer, keep at it. The more you do that, the more of a chance we have at successfully powering up the generator." I say as I look at the dials and displays on the generators, which are slowly going from red to green.

Just as the lights power on, the Sword of Omens growls and roars in warning, louder and more powerful than usual. "What is it? Danger?" I mumble beneath my breath as I unsheathe the Sword from the Claw Shield. I hold the mystic blade in front of my eyes as I say

"Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

The second the hilt curls, I instantaneously realize that something is far from being alright. The fog that creeps into the corners of my mind's eye is thick and black, and my vision is blank; nothing but static. I can hear garbled, robotic-like voice talking, then an ear-piercing screech fills my ears as the vision starts to fade, making me yelp in surprise and pain and drop the Sword.

Snarfer looks at me over his shoulder as he says "What happened, Lion-O?"

"I...I don't know. The Sword didn't show me anything but static, then I heard a garbled voice, and it ended with a deafening screech." I say as I sheathe the Sword back in the Claw Shield. Snarfer purrs anxiously before saying "That's not good. Sneeyarfer, Sneeyarfer! That's not good at all..."

He doesn't get a chance to finish his sentence before the alarm starts to sound. "Lion-O! Snarfer! Tygra! Bengali! Report to the Control Room immediately! This is pretty importa...aaaaggggghhhhhh..." Sebastian's scream echoes over the intercom. Important? I don't like the urgent tone in his voice. "C'mon, Snarfer!" I say as I run out of the room and up the now lit staircase to the top of the Tower. The second we reach the control room, the door bursts open, and I see Mumm-ra standing behind Sebastian, holding a dagger against the Wolfman's throat; Lynx-O is lying bound in ropes against the control panel, and Snarf is lying still, trapped in a net on the floor, presumably unconscious.

"You've got some nerves to turn up here, Mumm-ra!" I snarl as Tygra and Bengali run into the room after me, drawing their weapons as they stop one step behind me.

Mumm-ra cackles menacingly as he says "That's where you're wrong, Lord of the Thundercats!"

I tear the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield and point it at Mumm-ra as I roar "HO!"

The Sword sends a massive bolt of blue energy towards the undead devil priest, who grabs it as easily as catching a ball. "Big mistake!" the mummy cackles as he looks me right in the eyes. My heart feels like it stops beating as he throws the ball of energy back at me. I bring the Sword of Omens up to deflect the projectile, and the second it touches the Sword, there's a blinding white flash, and I'm sent flying as an explosion reverberates round the room.

I hit the wall with a crunch, and collapse on the floor as my vision returns to normal. I can see that the room is on fire, and the others are getting up. I push myself up on to my knees then stand up. I can feel blood trickling from my bottom lip, and my left cheek is burning. Part of the floor has collapsed, and is continuing to break apart. "Everybody out! Now! RUN! The Tower won't hold out for much longer!" I shout as I struggle to run up to Lynx-O and Snarf. I grab the net that Snarf is tangled up in and start to cut at the rope cords with the Sword of Omens. My old nursemaid is lying limp and unconscious, bleeding from a gash behind his right ear. The floor under my feet starts to crumble, so I jump out of the way, just in time as the floor gives way. That was closer than I wanted.

I look up to see that Mumm-ra has vanished. The sly bastard! "Take him and get out while you can! I've gotta get Lynx-O!" I say as I pass Snarf to Bengali, before turning to look at the lynx, who is struggling to keep his balance as the floor, which is slowly sinking. Bengali says "Ok, but make sure to be careful, Lion-O."

He leaves with Tygra and Snarfer as I pull the Claw Shield onto my hand.

"Hold on, Lynx-O." I call as I run up to the gaping gap in the floor. I jump, and clear it with ease, before grabbing my friend. "Don't let go, Lynx-O," I say as I fire one of the grapple lines at the ceiling, lodging one in the stone. Just in time, I jump back over the gap before helping the injured lynx out of the control room. The second we're out of the door, the floor in the room completely caves in, revealing the flames that lick up the walls and creep onto the ceiling. "We've got to keep going!" Lynx-O shouts over the roaring of the fire "The only way out is down the staircase!"

I groan slightly. The staircase? That'd take too much time...but we have to chance it.

We quickly make our way to the door, and the second it opens, we run in.

"Hold on to me, Lynx-O," I say as I guide my friend down the long, winding staircase "The last thing you want to do is slip and break your spine." A piece of flaming hot metal dislodges from the ceiling, making me cry out in pain and clamp my hand over the burn as it lands on my shoulder.

"Lion-O, just leave me and get out while you can! I'm just holding you back! It's better I die than both of us..." Lynx-O says as I guide him on to the next step down, but I interrupt the lynx by saying "Neither of us are going to die, lynx-O. I'm getting us both out of here alive..."

I put my foot down on the next step, right on a clump of slime weed. I lose my balance, slipping backwards as I lose my footing. I try to grab the handrail, but the metal creaks then breaks as the sheer weight of my body presses against it...

I fall.

Time seems to stand still as the ground rushes up to meet me. My scream is barely audible as I hear Lynx-O shout my name, seconds before the staircase where I was standing mere seconds ago crumbles away and falls, sending out plumes of white dust as the creaking of breaking iron and stone rings in my ears. _"This isn't good..." _I think to myself _"I can't die. I have a family; a wife, a cub. They need me, but here I am, falling to what will obviously be my inevitable death."_

Tears stream down my cheeks as the ground gets closer. I can smell smoke, and I can taste the ash in the air; I can feel the heat of the flames below me, and the primal fear deep inside my being at the sound of the fire crackling. The Sword of Omens is just in front of me, having fallen free of the Claw Shield, so I grab it, mere seconds before I hit the floor, too stunned to even make a single sound.

It feels as if I have just been hit by the Thundertank at full speed. The sharp metallic tang of blood fills my mouth as the sticky red fluid trickles from the corner of my mouth as debris rains down around me. Every sound is muffled as my vision slowly fades to black, my body going numb as I drift into unconsciousness, and probably death as I am buried alive, the explosions and screams fading as my world is consumed by a thick black fog...

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**Tensions are high as the Tower of Omens has been destroyed, taking the life of a Thundercat. As they struggle to cope with the loss of one of their ranks, one decides to step up the game, but as the funeral is planned, an old enemy of the Thundercats makes an unexpected re-appearance. Will they be able to cope, or is it the end of the Thundercats? **_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	19. Chapter 18: Not Gonna Die - Part II

_**A/N: O-O Three months. THREE MONTHS! That's what writer's block will do to you, unfortunately... :'(**_

_**The end may seem a little bit rushed, but I have spent SO much time on this.**_

_**As usual, I hope that you enjoy this new chapter, and I hope you accept my sincere apologies for the LONG wait...**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, adult themes and explicit language. **__**!CHARACTER DEATH!**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Wednesday 16**__**th**__** September 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Tuesday 15**__**th**__** December 2015**_

_**Song/s: Not Gonna Die by Skillet**_

Chapter 18: Not Gonna Die, Part II

The ringing in my ears subsides slightly as I slowly start to gain consciousness. My whole body is completely numb, and I can't move, but I have a nasty feeling that it won't last for too much longer. My head is pounding, and I can feel some sort of hot, thick, sticky liquid trickling down my face and neck. There's a support beam lying across my right temple, and I'm pinned down by the rubble and debris. I can hear familiar voices shouting as my hearing starts to recover, but they seem so far away, and are so muffled.

"Sneyarf, Sneyarf! I hope that Lion-O and Lynx-O are ok. They didn't make it out in time before the Tower fell!"

"Reowrr! Quit worrying so much, Snarf! You're making me nervous!"

I try to reach the Sword of Omens; my fingertips merely brush against the end of the handle, making me groan in both pain and annoyance as I force my wounded body to move.

The support beam creaks slightly as dust swirls freely in the tiny space, making me involuntarily yelp in pain as the pressure against my head builds up; I feel more of the liquid trickling over my face, this time, into my mouth. I recognize the warm, bitter, salty liquid instantly; it's blood.

My chest feels as if it's getting tighter as I struggle to breathe. I know that I'm going to use up what little oxygen might be in the small space, but I can't help hyperventilating as it feels like I'm continuously being crushed by the rubble. My right knee is throbbing, making me think that it's broken. The support beam creaks again, then something drops onto my chest, knocking the breath from my lungs as I feel blood running down my body from the various cuts that cover me. Something sharp tears a searing gash across my right thigh, becoming lodged in my flesh as I scream in agony, the hot, salty tears of pain trickling down my cheeks as I groan at the feeling of blood running down my face.

"Reow! Did you hear that, Tygra? That sounded like Lion-O! He must still be alive!"

I hear the seemingly distant sounds of metal and stone being moved as I only just balance on the dividing line of consciousness and unconsciousness. Cracks of light slowly start to fill the darkness, then a muffled voice cries "Sneyarf! We found him! We've found Lion-O!"

"Be really careful, Snarf. He could be heavily wounded."

The support beam is lifted off of me, and I groan as I weakly lift my head, the dried blood on my face crackling as more of the liquid dribbles down my face and into my eyes. My vision starts to clear slightly, and I can only just make out the forms of Tygra, Bengali, Snarf and Snarfer struggling to move the debris.

"Lion-O, can you hear me? Are you ok?"

"Sneyarf! Does he _look _like he's at ok, Tygra? He's bleeding all over, for Jaga's sake!"

"Bengali, go and grab my medical kit from the Feliner! And be quick about it! And Snarf, don't move Lion-O."

I breathe out weakly, fresh blood tickling from the corner of my mouth as I try to sit up, pain shooting down my back.

Bengali runs up to Tygra, carrying a massive bag full of medical supplies.

"I may need some help with this, Ben." Tygra says as I struggle to sit up, then the tiger gently presses me back down again before saying "You need to stay lying down, Lion-O. Until we know for sure that you aren't seriously injured, you can't move."

I groan impatiently before mumbling "I'm pretty sure that I'm _perfectly _fine, Tygra." I try to get up, making fresh blood trickle from the many wounds all over me. "You're definitely not 'fine'. You're heavily wounded." the tiger says as I lie back down again, struggling to breathe.

Tygra checks me over before stitching up the worst of the wounds, but when I try to stand up, I scream in agony as I put weight on my left leg. Tygra has to help me back down again, and when he checks my leg, I have to choke back my screams of pain as he tries to move it.

"Luckily, no bones are broken, but I think you've sprained one of the muscles in your leg." the tiger says as I struggle to sit up for the third time "And if you keep trying to sit up, it'll only make the pain a whole lot worse."

I groan impatiently before lying down again. "I don't suppose that this can be sorted out very quickly, then..."

The tiger was about to reply, but before he can get a single word out before Snarfer's piercing scream splits the air;

"LYNX-O! _HOLY THUNDERA!_ He isn't breathing!"

I can clearly detect the panic in Snarfer's shrill scream. I look up and see Sebastian running towards us on all fours.

"Sebastian, what's wrong?" Tygra asks the young Wolfman, to which he replies "We've found Lynx-O, but I can't detect a pulse, he isn't breathing, and part of his skull has been cleaved open. He's dead..."

I feel sick at the news. We both got buried under the rubble and I'm still alive? How is that even possible? I force myself to my feet and stumble across the wreck of the Tower of Omens to where the Snarfs and Bengali are, and when I see what state Lynx-O is in, I feel like I am about to be violently sick;

The lynx is lying in a pool of blood and is covered by a series of extremely deep gashes and cuts from which the red fluid continually oozes. His eyes are wide open and glazed, staring into nothing, and his mouth is open, a thin stream of blood trickling from the corners of his pale lips. This is the first time that I've ever seen his eyes open; they're bright blue, reminding me of my father, whom was blinded when I was only four years old.

I feel the bile rising from within the pit of my stomach as I see the heavy wound on my friend's head. Hot, salty tears of rage and self-loathing stream down my cheeks. _"What the hell have you done?" _a voice screams inside my head, undoubtedly my own conscious _"This is all your fault, Lion-O! If it wasn't for you, Lynx-O would still be alive! You should have got Lynx-O out earlier, but you didn't! You failed! Now do you see the consequences of your foolish, imprudent indecision? Now do you see what you've done? You killed a fellow Thundercat, and yet you call the mutants evil? What are the differences between you and them after this?"_

"I'm sorry...I'm so, so sorry..." I whisper as I drop to my knees at the lynx's side, wiping the tears away from my eyes with my hands. I can't get over the shock; it's just far too much for me to handle.

"This is all my fault..." I mumble as the others stand around me "I wasn't watching what I was doing and I slipped on some slime weed and fell over the side of the handrail whilst I was going down the stairs...it's all my fault...it's all my fault..."

"Lion-O, it wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for Lynx-O's death. How were you supposed to know that you were going to slip and fall?"

I sigh as Snarf lays a comforting arm around my shoulders, then I say "But I could have got Lynx-O out quicker if I hadn't have hesitated; we'd both still be alive..."

My old nursemaid's attitude and tone changes within an instant when he realizes that his attempt to make me feel better didn't work at all. "Sneyarf! Sneyarf! Reow! But...Lion-O...Surely you're not gonna hold yourself responsible for this forever...are you?"

I sniff deeply before saying "I will if I have to!"

"C'mon, kid. You can't blame yourself for any of it. It was Mumm-ra's fault, remember?" Sebastian says as he sits down next to me, but I don't listen to any of it. I mean, why should I? They don't know half of the stuff that I do. None of them have the crazy dreams and visions that I do. They don't know my struggles.

"Lion-O, everyone has regrets in their lives, but you don't have anything to feel guilty about; Lynx-O's death wasn't your fault."

"Jaga!" I say, looking up in shock as the ghostly blue jaguar materialises in the air in front of me "What do you mean 'Lynx-O's death wasn't my fault'? It was; I...I could have saved him. He could still be alive but he isn't and it's because of me! It's my fault, Jaga, but nobody will believe me when I try and tell them that, even though it's the truth!"

I'm screaming by the end of the sentence, but Jaga just looks at me calmly, making me even madder at the fact that he won't listen to me.

"They won't listen to you because it was never your fault, and you need to stop blaming yourself for it!" the jaguar says as he lowers himself to my eye level. I look away from him, unable to look him in the eyes. "I understand how you feel perfectly, Lion-O, but you can't let it bother you so much."

I sigh deeply. It _sure _is going to be _fun _explaining this to Pumyra and the other Thundercats...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

**Later that day...**

"Thanks, Leo," Pumyra says as we walk out of the lion's home "Just remember to mix the medicine in with their drinks. Give Bräiden ten millilitres, but only give Jøhba five."

Leo laughs sarcastically before saying "As if I don't know how to take care of my own cubs. Rewth may not be here anymore, but she's the one who inspired me to start learning about medicine." The lion hands me Katzeran, who is sleeping peacefully. I take my son from him as he says "Make sure that you mix the second dose in with his milk when you feed him because he'll just spit it back out if you try to give it to him on its own."

I'm just about to reply, but it suddenly feels like I've been hit by a train...wait...I know this feeling...I've had this so many times in the past...

Before I even know what is going on, I find myself standing in the cockpit of the Feliner, which is eerily quiet; nobody is saying a single word, and I realise that Lion-O isn't present; only Bengali, Sebastian and Snarfer are piloting the Feliner, and when it switches to my husband, I feel the pure worry at the fact that he's lying unconscious on one of the beds, his right leg is wrapped in bandages, and he's got loads of sutured cuts and wounds all over his body.

I'm not aware that in curled up on the floor with my arms over my head until Pumyra and Leo drop to their knees by my side. "Cheetara, are you ok?" Pumyra asks as I roll onto my back. I see that she's holding Katzeran, and both her and my husband's twin brother have the same concerned looks on their faces.

"I...I saw the Feliner. Tygra and Snarf are safe, but Lion-O is badly wounded." I whisper as I look up at the pair, tears streaming down my cheeks from the pure shock of what I saw.

"C'mon, Cheetara, we'd better get back to Cats' Lair ASAP, just in case it's as bad as it sounds." Pumyra says as she helps me get back up "Panthro will be here in a minute to take us back to Cats' Lair. The Feliner will be here in less than a few hours, and Lion-O might need emergency treatment if he's as badly wounded as you say he is."

I get to my feet and sigh shakily. I just _knew _that something would happen on the rescue mission, and I have the feeling in the pit of my stomach that it's worse than it seems...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

**Even later on that day...**

"I don't like the idea of having to tell the other Thundercats about Lynx-O's death..."

I sigh heavily, violently shuddering at the memory of staring, horrified, into the lynx's cold, dead eyes after he was pulled from the rubble, and fresh tears stream down my cheeks as I start to feel sick.

"Lion-O? Are you ok? You've gone really pale."

I look up at Sebastian as he sits down next to me, and I notice the worried and anxious expression on his face.

"I...I'm fine...I'm fine..." I stutter, to which the Wolfman replies "You can't be fine. You look like you're about to throw up."

I groan as I feel my mouth filling with thick saliva, sweat trickling down my forehead.

"Yeah...I'm fine. I've just got a lot of stuff on my mind at the moment..."

"It's about Lynx-O, isn't it?" Sebastian asks in a surprisingly calm voice as he looks me in the eyes.

I sigh before saying "And a lot of other things as well as that..." I've had a close friendship with Lynx-O ever since we rescued him, Pumyra and Bengali from Mumm-ra's icy clutches, and I've learned so much about Old Thundera and my father from the lynx that filled in all the gaps in my knowledge that were left when we evacuated from the planet when I was only 12 years old, but now that he's gone, it feels like a small part of him is gone.

"You guys have to get ready for landing, Sneeyarfer, Sneeyarfer! We're landing in the courtyard." Snarfer's voice says over the intercom, and both me and Sebastian get ourselves buckled up into our seats.

The Feliner lands on the snow-covered courtyard outside of Cats' Lair, and both Tygra and Sebastian help me out of the aircraft and down onto the tarmac, and I see Cheetara, Pumyra, and some of the medical team, who are pushing a gurney, are running up to us.

"Lion-O...Great Jaga, thank the God's you're ok! I was so _worried_! What on Thundera _happened _to you?" Cheetara says as she stops before me, and I see that she's holding Katzeran, who is dressed in his thick winter sleep suit, fast asleep.

"It's a long story, but I'm sure that it's easy enough to explain," I say as Pumyra and Tygra help me lie down on the gurney "But I don't want to go into the gory details..."

"Just tell us the best that you can manage," Pumyra says as a blanket is pulled over me "we're not gonna push you to say something if you don't want to talk about it."

I sigh deeply before saying "It began when we got to the Tower of Omens; the place was showing signs of being aged and abandoned for years, and the power generators had been completely destroyed, which was extremely strange, but then Mumm-ra attacked us, and that's when everything went wrong..." I look behind us and watch as a black body bag is unloaded off of the Feliner and put onto another trolley "Because the Tower collapsed and both me and Lynx-O were buried in the rubble, but Lynx-O was killed..."

I look at Pumyra, and I notice that she's stopped walking, gone really pale, and looks close to fainting. "Pumyra, are you ok?" Cheetara asks, and, in a small voice, the young puma says "Not really..."

"I'm so sorry, Pumyra...I swear I am. It's all my fault...I couldn't save him..." I mutter as I hide my head in my hands, the action of which tears the stitches on the deepest wound on my back open, making blood start to gush from the gash again as spasms of pain shoot down my back, causing me to roar in agony.

"He's going to need a load of stitches, Pumyra, and I suggest that you get it done ASAP because he won't sit still enough, meaning that you might have to sedate him to get it done." I hear Tygra say, then I'm taken off to the infirmary...

**...**

**Later that night...**

**Darkness. That's all I can see; nothing but pure, tainted darkness. The wind that blows is eerie, and I can hear faint, ghostly whispers. Then, almost as if someone had flipped a light switch, the darkness is flooded with light, and I can see Lynx-O standing before me, cut and bloodied and bound in chains. We're in the old Cats' Lair on Third Earth before we left for New Thundera. All of the other Thundercats are present, and they too are bloodied and restrained in chains, and all have their eyes on me, staring at me with the same cannibalistic expressions; they all look like they're about to pounce on me and devour me.**

**The way that they are all staring at me has me worried. I slowly rise out of my seat and slink towards the door, but just as I'm about to press the button to open it, a strong but cold hand clamps around my wrist and violently tears my arm away from the panel, seconds before it's smashed.**

"**You're not going **_**anywhere**_**, cub!"**

**The voice sends violent chills down my spine. It's deep raspy, and grainy. I turn around and see Tygra...but it's not the Tygra I know; most of his flesh is either charred or shredded. I can see his ribcage, and just underneath, his still beating heart...**

"**T...Tygra...What the hell happened to you? To all of you?" I ask as I look around at my 'friends'; Panthro's throat has been torn clean out of his throat and there are stab wounds all over his abdomen and chest; Pumyra is covered with bruises and deep gashes; the Thunderkittens both look like they've been shot though their chests, and there are red marks around their necks; Bengali looks like he's been impaled and both Snarf and Snarfer have been skinned, but Cheetara doesn't have any visible wounds; she's just covered in blood.**

"_**You **_**is what happened!" Tygra growls as I am forced back down into my seat.**

"**You're the reason we're **_**dead**_**!"**

"**This is all your fault, Lion-O!"**

"**We tried to warn you, but you just wouldn't listen to us!"**

**I close my eyes and try to get rid of the awful sight and cover my ears to stop myself from hearing them snapping at me, but they start to scream at me. The Cats' Lair dissolves into darkness again, but the Thundercats remain. I press myself as far into the corner as I can, but I can still hear the screaming.**

**I haven't felt this scared since I was a cub. Leo locked me in the basement of the Cats' Lair on Old Thundera whilst we were playing hide and seek, and he switched off the power supply, swamping me in darkness. To this day, I can still remember sitting hunched up in the corner crying, shouting for my brother to let me out, but he didn't; my father eventually found me after hearing me screaming, crying and clawing at the door which Leo was sitting in front of, happily reading a book...**

**I feel sharp claws scratching at my skin so fiercely that it draws blood, then I'm dragged to my feet. I open my eyes, and see that the other Thundercats are standing in front of me. Lynx-O makes the first move as he's released from his chains; he runs for me and starts to savagely tear at my exposed flesh as, one by one, the others are released.**

**They start to tear me apart, ripping the flesh from my body with their razor sharp claws and fangs, swallowing whatever they manage to get off whole. I begin to gurgle blood, the warm, salty crimson fluid gushing from my mouth and neck as Panthro bites deep into my flesh, tearing it to shreds as he shakes his head in a rapid frenzy, before clamping his fangs around my trachea which makes me start to choke, and with one quick, swift movement, he tears it clean out of my throat as blood sprays from my torn neck and mouth but what my wife does revolts me the most; she sinks her hand deep into the mess of my abdomen until she's elbow deep, then she tears something from my body. **

**That's when I see that she's holding my heart, which is still beating and pumping out blood...**

My eyes fly open and I sit bolt upright, tears streaming down my cheeks. I'm only just aware of exactly how hard and fast I'm panting, and my whole body is soaked with sweat; I feel sick. I look around me and realise that all of the other Thundercats are crowded round mine and Cheetara's bed. Snarf is the first to act.

"Lion-O, Sneyarf, Sneyarf, thank Jaga you're awake! Reow! You scared me!" he purrs as he jumps up onto the bed and wraps his arms around my neck. I break down and start sobbing on my old nursemaid's shoulder, fresh tears trickling off of my cheeks.

Cheetara sits down next to me with Katzeran held in her arms. "Lion-O," she says as she puts a hand on my right knee "What's so intense about your nightmares that you wake up every night, screaming loud enough to wake the dead? Surely they're not _that _bad?"

I sigh before saying "They're always truly horrific, and they're always about different things. This one was about how I'm responsible for and the cause of Lynx-O's death..." I feel my emotions welling up again and I cover my face as I sniffle, so Cheetara hugs me, making our son wake up; he mews in annoyance before starting to cry slightly. My wife gently lays the nine day old cub in my arms, and he slowly stops crying as he nuzzles into my bare chest, purring contently.

"We have to arrange the funeral. I won't rest until I know that he's at peace..." I say as I look around at all of my friends...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I have failed yet again. I tried my best, and yet the cub still lives. How is it that he can survive _everything _that I throw at him? There has only ever been _one _person who has ever came close to slaughtering Lion-O and that's Grune the Destroyer, but I sent him to hell the last time he failed to kill the wretched Lord of the Thundercats.

Maybe, just maybe if I would be to summon Grune once more he would be able to finish the lion off for me. I chuckle to myself as I pick Ma-mutt up off of the floor, and as I walk around the cauldron, I think to myself for a minute before coming to a decision;

I raise a hand before shouting "Ancient Spirits of Evil! Of darkness! Summon Grune the Destroyer back to this world so that he may finish his task of ridding us of the wretched Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats!"

I continue to chant in Ancient Egyptian, and the cauldron starts to viciously bubble as a pair of glowing blood-red eyes appear in the smoke.

"Why have you summoned me back to this world, Mumm-ra? What do you want me to do for you this time?" a raspy voice says as the smoke clears.

I grin at the ancient sabre-toothed tiger as I say "I have a job for you, Grune, which involves killing Lion-O."

Grune chuckles deep in his throat as he says "Anything you want, Mumm-ra!"

"Then listen carefully!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"What do you want, Grune?" I growl as menacingly as I can. The old sabre-toothed tiger cackles deeply before saying "As if the answer wasn't obvious, Queen of New Thundera!" he spits the ending of the sentence with such venom on her tongue "I want Lion-O to face me in the Badlands of New Thundera...alone."

I growl again before snarling "You _know _that Lion-O would _never _be stupid enough to do that! Never in a million years!"

"What the _hell _is going on in here?"

I look up as Lion-O walks into the room; his face clearly shows that he's absolutely furious, and when he sees Grune, he violently tears the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield before snapping "Why the hell are you here, Grune? What the fuck do you want?"

Grune chuckles to himself before saying "I challenge you to a fight to the death, 'Lord of the Thundercats'!"

Lion-O roars, the deep sound echoing throughout the room as he says "I'll NEVER do such a thing, Grune! I don't lower myself down to that...level."

"That's the problem, Lion-O; you haven't got a choice! A fight to the death, or I slaughter all of the Thundercats in the most horrifically painful ways possible..." he throws a sickening glance at me "Starting with your wife and son. It's your choice; make it wisely, cub!"

I see what he's doing; he's infuriating Lion-O to bring out the impetuous and hot-blooded side of him, and it's working...

Lion-O growls before saying "I...I'll do it!" as he slams his fist down on the table, denting the metal.

Grune laughs before saying "Good!" Then, he disappears into nothing...__

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Lion-O,_ please_ reconsider! You can't face Grune alone! He'll kill you!"

I can hear Cheetara begging, but I don't pay attention to her.

"I _have _to face him, Cheetara. If I don't, then it's pure cowardice!"

"But if you do, then it's pure _foolishness_! You don't know what the hell he could have planned for you! Lion-O, you could be walking into a death trap without realising..."

"The Sword of Omens would have warned me by now if I was in any danger, which I am not. So you can stop worrying about me; I'm going to be perfectly fine." I say as I clip my hunting knife to my belt, then I turn to look at my wife.

"You can't do this. You have a son. He needs you; _I _need you!"

I sigh as tears trickle down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry Cheetara, but this has to be done, whether I agree with it or not..."

I start to walk away, but I start to feel small and scared. What if Cheetara is right? What if this is all just one elaborate death trap? I force my fears to the pit of my stomach. This is important, and I'm not about to let anything get in the way of what is right...

**_Next time on Thundercats:_**

**_Lion-O has agreed to a fight to the death with Grune the Destroyer, but will he get out with his life? Will everything go smoothly for the funeral of one of the oldest members of the Thundercats, or will the Lord of the Thundercats' decision cost him his life?_**

**_Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!_**


	20. Chapter 19: Breaking The Habit

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence and explicit language. **__**!CHARACTER DEATH!**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Wednesday 16**__**th**__** December 2015**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): N/A Yet**_

_**Song/s: Breaking the Habit by Linkin' Park**_

Chapter 19: Breaking the Habit

The wind howls overhead as sheets of ice-cold rain pour from the sky. I knew that I'd regret this decision, but what choice did I have?

When I finally see Grune, we're in a low ridge between two outcrops just outside of the forest. I keep low as I track him; I can see him just below me, and that's when my foot slips on a loose rock and sends it bounding down the slope. Grune looks up just as I pounce and he dodges out of my way; I hit the ground and roll before coming up into a crouch. Grune snarls at me and unsheathes his big double handed sword. I've brought a battle axe that Bengali made for me as well as the Sword of Omens. I stand up and grab my axe from my side. We circle each other, growling with our fur standing on end down our bare backs. I'd left my armour behind so that I'd be stealthier, but wish that I have it right now.

"Hello, Lion-O..." Grune growls as he looks right into my eyes "I can see that you kept with the promise of the fight."

"Grune..." I growl as we stand still "I was a fool to let myself do this..."

"You should not have tracked me, 'my lord'!" Grune snarls sourly, spitting the end of the sentence with venom on his tongue.

"Don't call me that!" I snarl back at him "You lost that privilege all those years ago when you turned against your people! This has to end, and it has to end NOW!" I can't let him live.

Grune just chuckles at me and says "So be it, 'my lord'!" Then, he lunges at me. I catch the swing of his blade on the Claw Shield and spin to the left, swinging my axe with all my might; Grune dodges and the axe harmlessly passes his chest. I keep spinning, but this time raise the axe high above my head and bring it crashing down into his sword as he deflects my blow. The valley rings with the sound of steel clashing against steel as we battle.

We disengage and circle once again, so I lunge at Grune once again, but he dodges again. I over-step, leaving my back open for his sword to slice across it; I raise the Sword of Omens and shout

"Thunder, Thunder, Thunder, Thundercats..."

But I'm cut off as I scream in agony as I feel his blade glide across my back, splitting skin and muscle and grinding against bone as he swings his blade around, causing me to drop the Sword. I grit my teeth against the pain as I fall to my knees. The wound isn't bad or life threatening, but still hurts like hell, and I know that I'm going to need stitches. I hear Grune laugh as he says "You'll have to try better than that, my lord!"

He presses the blade of the Sword of Omens against my throat, not releasing the pressure, no matter how much I try to push him off. I try to breathe, but I can't.

Grune cackles as he sees me desperately struggling against him. "Well, well, well! I never could have ever thought that I would be so close to killing one of the sons of the man who used to be one of my best friends!" Grune roars, but I manage to get my feet onto his chest, sending him reeling backwards as I kick him.

I get up and turned to face him, blood gushing down my back. I crouch and bring my axe up defensively. He kicks dust into my face and lunges again, but I'm ready for him this time. I swing my axe up towards him, and catch him in the chest, slicing him from waist to shoulder. A jagged line of blood seeps from the wound as he screams in agony. I only just recover my stance when he lunges at me again; his anger evident in his enraged expression at being caught off guard. I deflect his blow with the shaft of my axe which splits in two, sending jagged shards of wood everywhere.

We back away from each other, knowing that we are equal. We circle each other again, panting and trying to regain energy, waiting for the first move. "What is it that you even want, Grune?" I snarl as I look the sabre-toothed tiger right in the eyes. The evil Thunderian chuckles before replying with "Well...For starters, I want you dead!" I see what he's planning. I growl menacingly before snapping "You would _never _dare try to do anything to me! You know that the Thunderian Council AND the Thundercats would have you arrested and executed if you by some way managed to kill me!"

Grune laughs before saying "And what could your so-called 'precious' Thundercats do? Your son is but a cub; he is less than a month old, and so there would be _nobody _to take over as King or Lord of the Thundercats!"

I growl menacingly, but it's more guttural this time. "If you think that you can defeat me, Grune, you can kiss my ass! I won't give in to defeat!" I snarl, blood gushing down my back as I feel my strength fading.

The sabre-toothed tiger cackles menacingly before saying "You're a sentimental fool, Lion-O! Just for you, my sword was laced with liquid Thundranium! Which means that, by now, it will have entered your bloodstream!"

He catches me off-guard and uppercuts me, knocking me back down onto the floor; I throw my axe away and shout "Sword of Omens, come to my hand! I, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats command it!"

The Sword of Omens flies into my hand, and I stand up again, making Grune laugh.

"That's not going to help you, my lord! One thing Mumm-ra requested for me to tell you is that the collapse of the Tower of Omens was meant to kill you, not the lynx!" Grune snarls, clutching his bleeding chest.

"I told you not to call me your Lord!" I growl as we both move at the same time. Our swords clash and lock together, bringing us face to face. I seize my chance and head butt him square in the face. His nose explodes in a spray of blood as he stumbles backward. I use my sword hand and punch him as hard as I possibly can. It has the desired effect as it catches him square on the jaw, breaking his remaining sabre tooth. He howls in agony and he keeps stumbling backwards.

I raise the sword above my head for the killing blow, but as I bring it down, he steps back and the blade slices down the side of his face, cutting him from cheek to forehead diagonally. He howls in pain and steps forward as I swing across; the sword's blade cuts a deep gash in his throat. Blood spurts from the wound as he collapses, clutching the gash on his throat from which the split ends of his trachea protrude, making me feel slightly sick. I spit on him as he lies drowning in his own blood. "I was never your lord!" I say, and then I turn around and walk away, trying to distract myself from the pain that I am in.

**...**

Where am I? What am I doing here? Why did I willingly put myself into this situation?

Seemingly endless questions race through my mind as I stagger onwards through the thick jungle undergrowth, struggling to stay upright. The ice-cold winter wind buffets me as I walk on in a desperate struggle to reach Cats' Lair before sundown. My back is pure agony, and the blood that gushes from the deep gash feels like a thick slime which trickles down the backs of my legs, soaking my feet and fur. I can barely breathe because the pain is so bad, so my breath comes in ragged spasms of panting through gritted teeth as I force myself on, my heavily injured body only just managing to cope with the pain and stress of being forced onward.

I feel weak, tired and hungry; my shirt is near enough sliced open at the back, and is completely soaked with blood. The rain which falls feels like needles being stabbed into my body, but I continue to force myself on, knowing that I could die if I don't reach the Lair by sundown. I can hear voices getting closer, and I know that they are Thunderians. I stumble out into a clearing where a small group of ThunderGuard scouts are taking a break from training.

"Great Jaga's beard! It's King Lion-O!" one of them shouts as they run to me, "Bobbie, help me with him!"

The one that helped me up puts his hand on my back, and I see his horrified expression at the fact that his hand comes away slick with blood. "SHIT! We need to get him to the Lair NOW! He's badly wounded!"

They hoist me up onto one of their horses, and I black out immediately afterwards. I'm only just aware of the jarring movements of the horse...

I open my eyes; I'm lying in the infirmary, and the curtains are drawn, flooding the room with bright sunlight. I try to sit up, but I haven't got the strength to move. I look at my right arm, and see that a drip is connected to the inside of my elbow. I lay my head back on my pillow as a soft groan escapes my lips. I feel so strange, yet so exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open, but I hear a slight voice beside me; "Morning, lazybones!"

I weakly look up to see Cheetara sitting in a chair by the side of my bed, and Pumyra is standing beside her, flicking through my medical record. "You've been out cold for nearly 24 hours, but I'm guessing that it's just a side-effect from the anaesthesia that you were put under. You're going to be a bit sore for a little while, but it is understandable." the young puma says, and then I remember what happened.

"How the hell did you manage to save me? After what Grune did to me, how did I not die?" I ask weakly, to which Pumyra replies with "It was a fight to save you because you were bleeding so badly, and some of the muscles on your back had been sliced through, but they've all been repaired. Anyway, about Grune," the young puma looks me in the eyes, and I can't help but gulp; I know that I'm in for it. "You left a trail of blood through the forest, and the scouts who weren't coming to Cats' Lair followed it, but by the time they got there, there was just a pool of blood."

"But that's impossible. I killed Grune; I watched him die in front of me. When I went for him with the Sword of Omens, I cut his throat open. I watched him drown in his own blood." I say, struggling to sit up as Pumyra slips an oxygen mask onto my face.

"Don't go getting yourself so worked up, Lion-O. What you need now is rest, and getting all worked up about Grune isn't going to help you." the young puma says as she gently pushes me back down onto the bed and tries to keep me down "Now, you need to stay lying down or you'll tear your stitches out, and all of mine and Tygra's hard work will have been for nothing. If you keep on squirming like this, I'll have to sedate you, and you _definitely _won't like that."

Despite the fact that I have barely any strength left, I struggle against Pumyra, who seems to be as strong as a horse to me due to my weakened state.

"Get off of me!" I roar, my claws coming forth as I growl, bearing my fangs. "Why is it that he _always _has such a bad reaction to anaesthesia?" I hear Pumyra mumble to herself as she takes some thickly padded strips of material from the bed next to us, and struggles to keep me down long enough to restrain me to the bed before grabbing a hypodermic syringe.

"This is for your own good, Lion-O!" she says as she pops the cap off of the syringe, and then she stabs it into my right thigh before pressing the plunger down. I feel the icy fluid flowing through my body as the sensation of drowsiness sweeps over me, seconds before it sweeps me away into a deep state of unconsciousness...

"_**I just can't believe that any of this has happened. Especially with how quickly it's happened, too."**_

"_**Times are hard at the moment, Lion-O, but it will get better. I promise you that."**_

_**I look into Cheetara's eyes as she straightens the tie around my neck. I could barely sleep last night because ever since Lynx-O's death two weeks ago, I've been plagued by re-occurring horrific nightmares every night. My wife smiles at me before turning to our one month old son who lies half asleep in his cot, lifting him up and lying him on our bed before changing him from his sleep suit into a smart outfit similar to a suit, which the young cub objects to by starting to cry and squeal, making such an annoying loud-pitched noise that it almost drives me nuts.**_

"_**I don't think he likes that very much." I say as Cheetara picks Katzeran up and cradles him in her arms.**_

_**She laughs slightly before saying "He's probably grouchy because he's hungry. He hasn't been fed yet this morning because he was asleep."**_

_**I sigh as I sit down next to Cheetara and look at our cub. "I can't believe that he was so ill just a few weeks ago. That medicine really did cure him." I say as I put an arm around my wife's shoulders before kissing her on the cheek.**_

"_**I love you so much, Lion-O."**_

_**I sigh slightly, yet contently as I gently hold the cheetah against my chest. "I love you so much too, 'Tara. More than you'll ever know. If it ever came to it, I would give my own life to keep you, Katzeran, and the other Thundercats safe." I whisper into her ear, making her smile. "I'd do the same for you."**_

_**I sigh again before saying "Well, we'd better go downstairs. The funeral is in half an hour..." my voice trails off, and my wife remains silent. "We have visitors from Third Earth who came to attend Lynx-O's funeral, seeing as how we have so many close friends on Third Earth; Willa, Nayda, Snowman and Snowmeow have all come to pay their respects." she eventually says, but I don't reply to her. I just stare out of the window, watching as rain starts to fleck the window pane, the sky slowly turning from a pastel-blue to a murky grey as storm clouds conceal the sun from view...**_

"Lion-O? Lion-O, can you hear me? Pumyra, he's coming round, but he's seemingly fighting it."

My vision is blurry and I feel sick. I feel like I'm soaking wet, and I'm uncontrollably trembling. One of my eyes is forced open and a light is shone into my eye. "His pupils are responding to the light, but he's seriously struggling with coming round."

I try to sit up, but I can't move my arms. "Lion-O, stay down, ok?"

My vision eventually starts to clear and I see Cheetara and Pumyra. My wife looks extremely worried, and the puma is rapidly working around my bed.

"'Tara? Wh...Wha...What's going on? Where am I?" I ask, my voice no more than a pathetic, weak whisper. Cheetara takes my hand and says "You're in the infirmary."

I blink weakly before saying "I..I had an operation...didn't I?" My wife nods. I can remember some, but everything is hazy.

"_**It sure is good to see you again, Thundercats."**_

_**I smile at Willa despite the current sombre occasion before saying "And it sure is lovely to see you and your sister, Snowman and Snowmeow again."**_

"_**Anyway, what has happened whilst you've been living on New Thundera? We've already seen the city, and it is simply amazing that you constructed such a complex city." Snowman asks, to which I reply with "Quite a lot has happened since then. For example, I re-met my twin brother Leo, and me and Cheetara got married, and had a cub."**_

_**Snowman turn to Cheetara and asks "And who's this little one?" as he sees Katz, who is fast in my wife's arms. The cheetah smiles before saying "This is Katzeran, our son."**_

"_**He's adorable. How old is he?" Willa asks, so I reply "He's about four to five weeks old, maybe even 6 weeks."**_

"_**He looks so much like you, Lion-O," Nayda says as she looks up at me "Anyway, what's it like to rule an entire planet?"**_

"_**Well, strictly speaking, I'm the King of New Thundera AND**__**Third Earth, but I find it weird. And with being royalty, I find myself starting to wonder what life is like for the commoners, but other than that, it's great to live the high life." I say, then Cheetara says "He HAS had a few 'power trips' though. I can understand why the power sometimes goes straight to his head. ESPECIALLY because he's 10 years younger mentally than he is physically."**_

_**I growl, but ever-so-slightly in a tone which is only audible to Thunderians. I absolutely hate it when people talk about me as if I'm not there.**_

"_**Well, anyway," I say as I look at the watch on my wrist – I got given it by Cheetara on my 21**__**st**__** birthday a few days before Katzeran was born, "We'd better go and take our seats; the funeral begins in a few minutes."**_

_**My friends agree solemnly, and so follow me into the entrance hall where the service shall take place. Pumyra and Bengali told us how they would like the service because of how they were the lynx's best friends, and we tried our best to make what they wanted a reality.**_

"_**Hey Lion-O!"**_

_**I turn to look behind me, and I see Leo approaching me from behind, his two sons trailing behind him. My brother and his cubs are wearing suits, and their manes are pulled back into warrior's braids.**_

_**Leo stops beside me as he says "Y'know, I am REALLY sorry for your loss and all, but I don't know why you invited me to the funeral because I never actually KNEW Lynx-O."**_

_**I sigh. I physically can't give my brother an answer, mainly because I don't know what to say. He looks at me out of the corner of his eyes. "Lion-O, are you ok?"**_

_**I don't answer him. I actually can't. Every time I try to talk, no words come out; no physical sound is made as I try to speak. I just feel so trapped within the mental confines of my own mind; bound to my anxiety as the old side of me is subjected to repression. I never asked for any of this.**_

_**I feel a friendly hand settle on my shoulder, and I turn around to see Cheetara. She looks concerned, and I know that she's managed to pick up on my emotions. "Lion-O, I know that something is wrong with you," my wife mumbles in my ear "But don't you think that this is all starting to get out of hand?"**_

_**I sigh huffily and walk ahead of them before taking my seat. I'm expected to give a speech, and I feel so nervous. I've never actually been a good public speaker, and I suffered from slight anxiety as a cub due to the fact that I was...publicly humiliated...when I was about 6 or 7 years old, and that left me mentally scarred...**_

**...**

**A few days later...**

"Well, the stitches have been removed and the wounds are healing up nicely. You'll have a scar down your back, but it'll be covered up once your fur starts growing back around the area of the wound. You will have to be careful with what you do for a little bit until the wound is fully healed, which will probably take two to three days. But you can leave today" Pumyra says as she puts a fresh dressing on the wound on my back and wraps a clean bandage around my chest and abdomen.

"Well that's a relief. I was expecting it to be more severe than that because of the Thundranium poisoning." I say as Cheetara sits by my side on my bed. She's holding Katzeran, who is hungrily guzzling down a bottle of milk. Mine and Cheetara's cub is two months old, nearly three months, and he's just so greedy.

"You were exactly the same when you were his age, Lion-O. The amount of bottles that you and Leo downed a day was crazy, and your father would be up every two hours at night because you were both feeding _constantly_. You were both so demanding, but I suppose the fact that there were two of you because you were twins and there were two of you doesn't help much." Cheetara says as she chuckles slightly.

"Well, that's the first I've heard of that story..." I say as I shift slightly, almost uncomfortable.

Cheetara chuckles again as she stands up before saying "Well, it's true. When you were a young cub, you were a handful, especially when you were a newborn. You got dangerously ill when you were born, and every night until you were better, you'd cry, and nothing that your father and the midwives did would soothe you."

My wife helps me get up off of the bed, and as we walk out of the door, I can't help but feel lost in my thoughts. So much has happened, and I am so lucky to be alive. I've nearly lost my life so many times over the past year, and all are down to my recklessness and impetuosity...

_**I gulp nervously as I walk up to the area at the front of the entrance hall. All of the memories have long since come flooding back of an unfortunate and embarrassing event from my past in which I'd been at school and I'd got so nervous that I'd wet myself because I had to do a presentation in front of my class.**_

_**As I stop before the coffin in which my friend lies in, I clear my throat before beginning my speech;**_

"_**I...I d...I didn't actually know Lynx-O as well as the other Thundercats, but I can without-a-doubt safely say that we were close friends prior to his passing. When we rescued the newest Thundercats-Pumyra, Lynx-O and Bengali- from Mumm-ra's icy clutches, it became obvious to me that they were all going to be extremely important members of the team, seeing as how Pumyra is a fully-trained professional medic, Bengali is a skilled blacksmith, and Lynx-O was un-doubtfully by far the smartest and wisest of the living. I owe what I know about my family and most of what I know about myself to him because he taught me so much about what I couldn't remember, and he always was and always will be a valued member of the Thundercats.**_

"_**I have only one regret, and that is that I tried to save him when the Tower of Omens collapsed, but due to the nature of the incident, my attempt to get us both out alive was futile- when the Tower collapsed, we were both buried alive by the rubble. I was extremely lucky to get out alive, but it pains me that Lynx-O was not as lucky as I was."**_

_**I look around me, and see that Pumyra is sobbing, being comforted by Bengali, who has been her boyfriend for just under two years now. I have so much more that I want to say, but I don't know how to get the words out, so I just go and sit back down...**_

**...**

**Later on the same day...**

"Lion-O, we need to talk..."

I turn around and look at Cheetara, who is holding Katzeran, as she stands behind me. My wife looks rather troubled, and I instantly realise that whatever she has to say must be extremely important.

"Sure, sure. Have a seat." I say as I perch on the edge of my desk. The cheetah sits down in one of the chairs before me. Without saying anything, I quickly but thoroughly examine her facial expression with my eyes. The look on her face is concerning, and I can't help but feel like I'm about to receive a bollocking.

"Lion-O, I've had this thought on my mind for a little while now; how on Third Earth did you escape from the fight with Grune with so few injuries? It was a fight to the death, and you managed to kill a Thunderian who stands at over twice your size." Cheetara says as Katz grabs a handful of her mane and shoves his fist into his mouth, dribbling and drooling all over her clothes.

"I escaped from the fight by giving Grune _exactly _what he wanted; a fight to the death," I say as I walk up to my wife and take our son from her so she could pull something from her pocket.

"This is a photograph of the place where the battle between you two commenced. By the time the scouts reached the site, there was no sign of Grune's body, but there was evidence of a fight because of how much blood was soaked into the mud and on the rocks. Lion-O, what if you never actually _killed _Grune? What if he is still out there, wounded but alive?"

"There is no way that Grune could have possibly survived. I slit his throat with the Sword of Omens; I watched him drown in his own blood. I _watched _him _die_!" I say, but the thought that Grune could still be alive and walking about sends shivers down my spine, especially with the injuries that he got during the fight.

That night as I stand on the balcony of mine and Cheetara's bedroom, I can't help but be immersed in my thoughts. I can see the capital city of New Thundera sprawled out in the near-distance, and I can't help but sigh as I feel a mixture of immense pride and intense guilt. I can hear the crickets chirruping in the courtyard below, and as I stand along in the coolness of the late-winter air, I can't help but reflect on my life. I haven't felt this calm since the night Katzeran was born in late November last year. A slight chilled breeze whips my mane around my face, causing my fur to stand on end as goose bumps cover my bare arms and legs.

I look up at the stars and sigh for a second time before speaking out loud. "I don't know whether you can hear me or not Father, but do you approve of who and what I have become? I...I found Leo again, but it seems like he hates me now. We were always so close when we were cubs, but the destruction of Old Thundera and the years apart that we spent believing that the other was dead seems to have destroyed our bond as brothers and torn us apart..."

"Lion-O? Are you alright?"

I quickly turn around and see Cheetara standing behind me, wrapped in her thick dressing gown. I feel myself blushing a deep shade of red. "I don't know how much of that you heard...but I bet I sounded crazy..." I say as my wife walks up behind me and wraps her arms around my chest. "Lion-O, you're absolutely _freezing_! How long have you been out here? Come inside into the warm." the cheetah says, so we walk inside, and Cheetara gets herself settled in bed, having settled Katzeran off to sleep earlier, as I lock the doors of the balcony and close the curtains before turning in for the night.

I crawl under the covers and lie on my side, yawning heavily. "About what you said a few minutes ago, I'm ok. I just have a lot on my mind." I say.

"I noticed. And you didn't sound crazy. I sometimes still talk to my mother, even though I'm not sure whether she can hear me or not."

I sigh slightly before turning off the bedside lamp. My wife cuddles into my chest, and I drift off to what will probably be the best sleep I've had in ages...

**_Next time on Thundercats:_**

**_5 years on, now that Katzeran is older, Lion-O and Cheetara find themselves struggling to cope with their hyperactive cub, especially when it comes to teaching him about the dangers on New Thundera, but when an unknown danger appears, can the pair keep their young son safe?_**

**_Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!_**

_**A/N: -_- I can't believe how long this has taken. But at least it's done and out of the way. Just wanted to let you guys know that this is the last chapter of Era 1, meaning that the next chapter will be the first chapter of Era 2, which takes place 5 years into the future. Hope you enjoyed it. :)**_


	21. Chapter 20: Animal I Have Become

_**A/N: I can't believe how quickly I managed to write this. :) This is the first chapter of era 2, meaning that it takes place five years in the future (just reminding you in case you forgot :P)**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence and explicit language. **__**SUGGESTIVE adult themes**___

_**Date started (Chapter): Thursday 10**__**th**__** March 2016**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Saturday 26**__**th**__** March 2016**_

_**Song/s: Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace**_

Era II

Chapter 20: Animal I Have Become

I look around me and sigh as the light filters through the lush green canopy, casting areas of light sun and dark shadows. The past 5 years seem to have gone by so quickly, and not everything has been in shipshape, but it's been ok for what it's usually like for us Thundercats.

"Come on, you!" I call to Katzeran as he lags behind me "If we don't get these apples back, we won't have any of Snarf's apple pie after dinner."

My son groans before hoisting his little bag of apples over his shoulder and shouts "Dad, wait for me!"

I laugh as he runs after me, puffing like a steam-engine. He speeds up, and as a result, he trips over the root of an oak tree and falls over on the dusty path. He starts crying as I run to him, and as I kneel down beside the little Litah cub, I inspect his hands and knees; his palms are grazed and his right knee is slightly bloody, but other than that, he's ok.

"I _told _you to be careful, didn't I?" I say in a jokey tone to try and cheer my son up. He nods, but continues snivelling. He's only five years old, but he's _way _better behaved than me and Leo were at his age.

I take Katzeran's bag of apples then lift my cub up onto my shoulders. "C'mon you," I say as he wraps his legs around my neck and holds onto my mane "Let's go and see what your mother has been up to whilst we've been out."

My son sighs, then says "Dad?"

"Yes, Katz?" I reply as we make our way through the apple orchard.

"Who is Grune the Destroyer?"

I stop in my tracks. "Where did you hear that name? Tell me."

"My teacher said his name in class yesterday."

I continue on towards the city gates as I say "You must _never _say that name again, Katzeran. Ok?"

"Why?"

"Grune was once a Thundercat..."

"Like you and me? And mum?"

"Yes, like you, me and your mum. He wanted to be the Lord of the Thundercats and started to destroy Old Thundera. Then the greatest Thundercat of all beat him. Who is the greatest Thundercat of all, Katz?"

"Jaga!"

"That's right," I say triumphantly, glad I'd managed to stop him from saying _I _was the greatest Thundercat of all "And why is he the greatest?"

"He...He's...He...uhhggg! He killed Grune?"

"He didn't _kill _Grune, Katzeran. He trapped him and sent him to Third Earth, where he died. Jaga is the greatest Thundercat because when everything went wrong, he saved the Thunderians. If it was not for Jaga, I wouldn't be here," I turn around and look at the countryside and the city "None of this would."

"Wow! Cool!"

"Grune was evil because he got his own way through murder and killing the innocent..."

Katzeran gasps. "Will he kill _me_?"

"No. Don't be so daft, Katz. Grune has been dead for a long time. And if by any chance he is still alive, he's miles away on Third Earth. And if he did try to hurt you, he would have me to answer to."

"Really? Why?"

"Because you're my son, and I love you. You are also the Prince of New Thundera, and a Thundercat. Katzeran, the time will come when I either have to step down from the throne, or I will no longer be here, and the throne of New Thundera and the Sword of Omens will be yours. But, of course, I am talking _many _years down the road. I'm still going to be around for years and years."

"Dad, what happens when we die?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I dunno..."

I sigh deeply. Is there even an easy way to tell a five year old child about death and dying? I was Katz's age when I first saw someone die; my eldest cousin, Lynda. A group of about four boys-I can't remember exactly how many because it's been _years_-pushed her into a lake, which just so happened to also be infested with piranhas. She'd taken me to the lake to go fishing, but the boys smothered her in pig's blood...then they pushed her in.

To this day, I can still remember her high-pitched screams of agony as the carnivorous fish stripped the flesh from her body. I'd been forced to watch as the fish dragged her under the water, which was rapidly turning a sickening shade of red. One of them was about to push me in as well, but my father and Jaga were running towards us, so they ran away, leaving me crying on the pontoon...

"Well..." I sigh as I try to remember what my father had told me when I asked him "You see, it varies on what people believe. When we die, our souls go to the Astral Plane, and if you were good before you died, you might be chosen by Satos to be the guardian or mentor of the next Lord or Lady of the Thundercats. And do you know why Satos is so special and important, Katzeran?"

My son looks fascinated. "No. Why?"

I smile at how interested my cub seems in his ancestry. "We are direct descendants of Satos. He was my family's ancestor, which means that he is also your ancestor because you're half lion."

"But what about Mum?"

"What about Mum? Your mother is a cheetah, as you obviously already know, and so her ancestor is different."

"Dad, what even _is _an ancestor? How long ago did they live?"

"An ancestor is like a great, great, great grandparent, and they can live anytime."

**...**

By the time we reach the city gates, the sun is getting low in the sky. Katzeran had long since fallen asleep, drooling on my shoulder in his sleep as I carry him. As I approach them, the two guards bow to me then open the gates for me.

"Good evening, Your Majesty. Lovely weather, isn't it?" a Liger says as he walks alongside me, escorting me back to the Lair. I chuckle slightly before saying "Yup. It's rather warm for this time of the year, but it means that the fields and orchards are in plentiful supply, especially the apple orchards." I adjust my grip on the bags of apples, which seem to be increasing in weight. "Here, my King, let me take those for you." he says as he takes the bags from me, then he looks at Katzeran and smiles. "Prince Katzeran looks so much like you when you were little, sire. There is no doubt that he will be a strong Lord and King when his time comes." he says as Katzeran suddenly squirms before slightly kicking me in the abdomen in his sleep.

"It's hard to believe that he got so ill when he was just a few days old. He's such a healthy and lively cub, the complete opposite of what I was like. From the moment I was born, I gave my father and the other Thundercats hell."

"But you had the best cat as a Father."

I sigh before saying "I know. But it's such a shame I can't remember that much about him."

The Liger smiles sympathetically before saying "Your father, King Claudus, was a great man. He was extremely brave and strong, and he didn't let any of his personal problems effect his role as and duties as the Lord of the Thundercats and King of Old Thundera, and he kept the planet and its people strong after your mother, Queen Leandra, passed away. Your mother was a brilliant queen, and she would be so proud of you if she could see you now, my King."

As we walk up the steps of the Lair, Katzeran stirs, yawning then stretching slightly as he murmurs "Dad, are we home yet?"

"We've just got back."

"I'm hungry! And I'm tired..."

"Well, it'll be dinner, then bath time, then into bed with you, then."

My son groans before saying "But I don't _want _to go to bed early!"

"Don't make me tell your mum!"

Katz groans again before cuddling back into my chest. "He doesn't like it when Cheetara tells him off," I say to the Liger as we walk into the main entrance of the Lair "But it you ask Cheetara the same question, she'd say that he absolutely _hates _it when I tell him off. I go the same way that my father went with me and Leo; we were both troublemakers, so whenever we misbehaved, he'd smack us around the backs of our legs, right where it..."

I cut myself off and yelp in pain as Katzeran wriggles out of my arms, accidentally catching me between the legs with the heel of his right foot.

"Ooops...Sorry Dad..." he says, and as Cheetara walks in, he hares towards her shouting "Mum! Mum! Mum!" over and over again, clamouring to be picked up. My wife eventually picks our cub up once I've managed to get over the pain and stand up.

I take the apples from the Liger and thank him for the help, then once he has left, we walk into the kitchen where Snarf is cooking tonight's dinner. "That sure does smell great," I say as Cheetara sits down at the little table with Katz on her lap, "What have we got?"

Snarf doesn't turn around to look at me, but he says "We have venison with petis pois and new potatoes, with apple pie for desert."

I put the apples on the counter before sitting down too. "I suppose that you're going to want to help with the pie, Katzeran." the little red and yellow cat says, earning an eager response from my son.  
"Yeah!"

"Come on then, wash your hands."

Katzeran eagerly runs up to the sink and tries to wash his hands, but he's too short, and so the water runs down his arms.

"I don't know, Katz." I laugh as he jumps to try and reach the tap "At this rate, Snarf will have the pie finished before you've managed to wash your hands." But I get up and lift him up so that he can wash them because he'd started to get frustrated...

**...**

"_**Now that you've recovered slightly, are you going to tell me exactly how you escaped the fight with Grune alive?"**_

_**I don't reply to my wife; I'm in too much pain to do so. I'm lying on my front in my bed in the infirmary, and it feels like I can't breathe. I still feel extremely groggy and lethargic from the anaesthetic and sedatives, and all I want to do is sleep but I can't. Every second of sleep I manage to get is plagued with horrific nightmares and hellish visions.**_

"_**You don't want to know..." I say in as loud a voice as I can possibly manage, but it still comes out as a pathetically quiet mumble.**_

"_**Trust me Lion-O. I do want to know." Cheetara says as she takes hold of my hand, gently massaging my palm, and so I sigh before answering her.**_

"_**I killed him. I had to; I...I ha...I had no other choice but to do so b...bec...because if I hadn't have...hadn't have killed him, he...he'd have killed me instead..."**_

_**My voice trails away. Why am I feeling remorse for killing the enemy? If anything, I should be celebrating my victory, even though I know that murder, even if it is the enemy, is wrong. But no. Because why bother? Why bother when killing Grune won't change anything? It won't make anything better. It won't improve anything, but the sabre toothed Thunderian is dead, and so I can't change anything.**_

"_**But before you say anything, I had a perfectly valid reason to kill Grune because he threatened to harm you and the other Thundercats. I can't even begin to imagine what I'd do with myself if you, Katzeran, and the other Thundercats got harmed...or worse; it'd kill me..."**_

_**Cheetara sighs. "I wasn't actually going to say anything about it. If anything, I actually believe that you acted inappropriately, but given the situation that you were in, I would have done the exact same if I were you."**_

_**Hearing this surprises me. "But you're against killing. You penalized me after I killed Rataro, but you agree with me when I kill Grune?"**_

"_**I don't agree with what you did, Lion-O. I just said that I'd have done the same. It's completely different."**_

"Dad, are you ok?"

I look up at Katzeran, who is standing in front of me. He's dressed in his pyjamas and his mane is all fluffed up, meaning that Cheetara had obviously bathed him. He looks worried, and I realise that I must have just zoned out.

"I'm fine, Katz. C'mon, sit down." I say as I move over on the sofa; my young cub practically jumps on top me and cuddles into me, purring gently. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Katz." I say as I wrap my arms around my son's chest.

"Dad, can you read me a bedtime story tonight?"

I chuckle slightly. "But I read you one last night; it's your mum's turn to tell you a story." I say, to which the young Litah replies with "But I love it when you read stories to me..." He pulls a really pouty face and sticks his bottom lip out, and so I say "Ok then. You win."

He grins, and when Cheetara comes into the library to take him to bed, he clings to me, so I have to carry him up the stairs, and once I actually put him to bed, I sit down and say "So, what story do you want? You choose."

"Dad, can you make up a story?"

I look at Katzeran and see that his eyes are gleaming hopefully. I sigh before saying "I'm not really that great at making up and telling stories; your Mum is the best at telling original stories."

"But, Dad, _please _can you _try_? Tell me a story about Satos."

I look at my son again. "Katz, I think that you're a little too young to be told a story about Satos."

"_PLEASE!_"

I sigh. "Ok, maybe this once."

Katzeran lies back, so I pull the covers over him and say "Now, this story starts years ago, _years _before me and your Mum were born. Satos was the Lord of the Thundercats and King of Thundera. Legend tells that he saved Thundera from a fearsome dragon who wanted to rule the planet as King. The dragon challenged Satos to a battle to see who would be the stronger ruler. Satos agreed to fight, but only under the condition in which the dragon left Thundera forever if it lost..."

By the time I've finished the story, Katzeran is nearly asleep. "Dad, what happened after that?"

I don't answer him. It is said that after my ancestor defeated the dragon, he was mysteriously murdered by some unknown method. The only thing that I know is that he left behind a cub, who was my great grandfather. I sigh before saying "Maybe..." but I'm cut off as I hear a voice say "Maybe that's a story for another time because it's getting late, meaning that it's _way _past your bedtime, young man."

I look up at Cheetara and jokingly say "Were you talking to me or Katz?"

My wife chuckles slightly before walking up to Katzeran's bed as I stand up. She places his old plush polar bear next to him before tucking our cub in. The cheetah leans down and hugs the young Litah cub before kissing him on the forehead. "Goodnight Katzeran. I love you." She says softly, so Katz replies with "Goodnight Mum, I love you too..."

He yawns deeply, so I say goodnight and kiss my son's forehead too, before switching off the lamp and walking out of the door, closing it until it's just open by a slight crack. I turn to Cheetara as we make our way to our sleeping chamber and say "Now, let's hope that he doesn't wake up. He's been doing that for the past few nights and I'm knackered because of it."

The cheetah sighs before saying "It's not just you that suffers; when he climbs in between us, he wakes me up and I can't get back to sleep until he's gone because he just fidgets."

It is true. Katzeran unfortunately inherited that from me because, according to Cheetara, I wriggle, squirm and fidget in my sleep a lot. As we retreat into our room, I can sense that Cheetara is uneasy about something, but I can't figure out what is wrong. She seems to be slightly anxious, so I sit down next to her on our bed, and as I hold her hands in my right hand, I gently place my left hand on her cheek as I say "Cheetara, is there something wrong? It's not like you to be like this. You can tell me if something is wrong; I'm your husband."

Cheetara looks at me, and I notice the nervous look in her eyes. She sighs before answering me; "I know, Lion-O. But I haven't mentioned this to you for the past two days because I didn't think you'd understand. However, I can't keep this to myself anymore, so I'll tell you. I can sense danger through my sixth sense. Not to the other Thundercats, but to us. To our family. Something big is going to happen, and I know that it will, but I don't know when, and that worries me. My sixth sense has never been wrong, and I'm terrified that something bad is going to happen to you and Katzeran."

She starts sobbing, so I pull her close to me and press my lips against hers. I feel my wife relax as she pushes herself into my chest, purring gently as we passionately kiss. As we break for air, I say "You know that I'd _never _let anything happen to us; I'd do _anything_ to keep us safe, even give up my own life if it meant I'd be keeping you and Katzeran safe."

The cheetah pushes me backwards until I'm lying on my back on the bed, then she lies on top of me, straddling me as she purrs "I know, and I'd do the same for you. I love you more than you'll ever know."

"I love you too, 'Tara," I half chuckle, half moan as she gently nibbles and sucks at the skin on my neck, giving me a lovebite before getting back up again. "Now, have I put your fears at rest?" I ask as we get ready for bed and slip under the covers. My wife responds to my question as she cuddles into my chest with "Yes, you did. But I reckon that it's only temporary..."

I chuckle before suggestively saying "Well, let me help you forget about it."

Cheetara laughs before saying "You're absolutely _shameless_, Lion-O!" as I leave a trail of kisses from her collarbone to her lips, eliciting a moan from the cheetah as I run my hand down her back. I switch the light off, and we embrace...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I slowly open my eyes, and am aware of the soft rays of the early morning sun's light filtering through the curtains, and as I roll onto my side, I can see Lion-O lying beside me, facing me. The lion's eyes are closed, and I know that he's either still asleep or trying to get back to sleep. I can hear the birds singing, and the scent of cooking bacon is thick in the air. Exhausted from my late night last night, I bury my face into my pillows as I yawn.

Lion-O yawns before wrapping his arms around me. "Good morning, 'Tara." he purrs lovingly, nuzzling his chin into my mane. My husband pulls me into a tight hug, keeping me pressed against his warm well-muscled chest.

"Good morning, Lion-O," I yawn, resting my head on his arm, breathing in the sweet scent of his fur as I cuddle into the lion. "Feel better after last night?" Lion-O sleepily murmurs, sounding like he's really struggling to stay awake, which wouldn't surprise me after last night's little 'escapade'.

I laugh slightly before saying "Well, helping me forget about my worries didn't come in the way in which I was expecting."

I feel him put his hand on my chin, and he makes me look into his eyes, grinning wickedly. He chuckles before saying "I can tell that you liked it, though..." The lion winds a lock of my mane round his finger, his golden wedding ring gleaming in the light of the sun as he French kisses me, taking my breath away as he straddles me.

I don't want to break away from him, but the door opens and I hear Snarf say "Sneyarf! Sneyarf! Are you two going to downstairs anytime...soon..."

Me and Lion-O both look at Snarf, who seems to be in a state of shock upon seeing us. "Sneeyarf! Reow! I hope I wasn't disturbing anything..." the little red and yellow lizard-like cat whines weakly.

"Luckily for you, you weren't..." Lion-O says, and I manage to detect the extremely embarrassed tone in his voice. Snarf purrs before saying "Well...Breakfast is ready..." and then he walks out of our room.

Lion-O quickly kisses me before getting up. "We'd better get ready..." he yawns as he stretches, "Snarf wouldn't like it if we missed breakfast." I watch the lion as he pulls on his underwear then his Thundercat uniform. As he goes into the bathroom, I get myself ready, and then we leave to go and have breakfast.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"We need to do something about this, Jaga. Who knows when he will take things too far?"

I turn to look at Leandra as I say "He's already taken it too far by killing two people already, Leandra. I know that he is all for the Code of Thundera, but he has strayed from it too many times."

"I know, Jaga. But I cannot help in worrying about his behaviour. He does have his father's short temper, but killing is unacceptable." the lioness says softly, tears trickling down her cheeks from her bright green eyes. She sighs deeply, and I know that she is slightly disappointed with Lion-O's behaviour. Leandra looks at me and asks "Is there anything we can do to show him the consequences of his actions?"

"Unfortunately not, unless you want to scar your son for life."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

It was shocking when it happened; we were halfway through breakfast when the security alarms were set off. We run into the Control Room, and see that there is a white Wolfman on the telescreen.

"Who are you and what the hell do you want here?" I growl, to which the wolf replies with "I am Saborr, and I am the head of the Plun-darrian S.S.B.H., and don't bother about telling me who you are. Lion-O, the infamous Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera. I am here with my best men because we are here for the Wolfman Sebastian! Either you hand him to us willingly, or we take him by using brute force!"

I feel someone grab me round the legs, so I look down and see Katzeran looking up at me, a terrified expression on his face. "Dad, what's going on?" he asks, and I can clearly detect the scared tone in his voice. I pick my young cub up and cuddle him against my chest, seemingly calming him until he starts purring.

"It's ok, Katz," I say as he buries his face into my shoulder and neck "It's ok."

I growl at the wolf before saying "Why do you want him? He left Plun-darr _years _ago! Why is he so important to you?"

I turn to look at Sebastian as Saborr says "He is wanted by the High Plun-darrian Council and the King of Plun-darr! He is to be put to death and executed for his crimes against his people and his kind!"

Sebastian looks nervous, but he composes himself and steps forwards as he says "Leaving Plun-darr and coming to New Thundera was the _best _thing I have done in years! Thunderians may be your sworn enemies, but they are my friends; I am a Thunderian citizen, and I am proud of it because it teaches arrogant twats like you that you can't judge a book by its cover! And if you kill me, I'll die happy knowing that I died for a cause that I believe in!"

"_TRAITOR_!" the white wolf screams, looking at us all with rage evident is his brown eyes, then he glares at Sebastian before saying "I hope that you're glad about the controversial actions which you have so foolishly taken against your own people! You call yourself a Thunderian citizen, but you couldn't be any more different from the species which you are trying to be! If your so called 'allies' knew your past, I without-a-doubt _know for sure _that they'd have you executed without hesitation! Stop trying to be a Thunderian, boy. You're a wolf, and you'll never be able to rid yourself of the burdens of your past, but you'll pay," the wolf then throws me a demonic look, "You _all _will!"

Then, Saborr disappears, the screen cutting to static as I turn to Sebastian. "What does the Plun-darrian S.S.B.H. stand for?" I ask, to which the Wolfman replies with "It stands for the Secret Service Bounty Hunters. They're the elite of the elite. You're probably going to have to ramp up the security because I reckon that they have something planned."

I eye him suspiciously. I know about his past as a spy, but I can't help in thinking that there's something that he isn't telling us. I turn to the ThunderGuard members who have gathered in the room and say "Attention!"

They instantly stand to a salute and shout "Sir yes sir!"

"I want you all to double the guards on the main doors, extra patrols carried out in all of the hallways, and I want guards on duty outside of all of our rooms. And if anything does happen, do not hesitate to wake me up or sound the alarms. If those Wolfmen somehow manage to get in, we'll be ready and waiting for them," I say, and I turn to the other Thundercats, putting Katzeran down as I continue, "And we'll be carrying out scans of each sector of New Thundera, including the New Thunderian airspace."

We all disband, and start to complete the checks and scans, but everything is quiet...for now.

That night as I lie in bed, I still feel like something is wrong. Cheetara is fast asleep, but I'm so nervous that I can't settle. I feel like something is going to happen...no. I _know _that something is going to happen. I sigh before looking at the alarm clock; it's 12:43pm. But I feel so tired. I haven't had this problem for a long time. I lie down again, and this time, I actually manage to drift off to sleep...

"**Lion-O, you have strayed from the Code of Thundera."**

"**B...B...But...But it...it was...it was an acc...accident!"**

"**You are the Lord of the Thundercats, and it is a strict law that you follow the Code. Murder is unacceptable and punishable by banishment...or death..."**

"**But...But I was just defending my friends and family! You can't punish me for that!" I say, my blood pumping in my ears as my heart pounds in my chest. They seriously can't want me to die because I murdered two people...can they? But all of them are looking at me with the same look of hatred on their faces, even Cheetara and Katz.**

"**We'll have to have a trial first, Tygra."**

**I'm shocked. Those words just came out of Snarf's mouth. Snarf! Of all the Thundercats in the room, he had to say it!**

"**We can't judge our King and Lord because it just isn't right, but the Sword of Omens can. It's the only possible way to do it." Tygra says as he lies the Sword on the table before me, "Take the trial, Lion-O. You have no choice but to do so."**

**I gulp nervously before reaching for the Sword, but I then realize that I can't draw my hand back. I can see a cold, blue hand clamped around my wrist, forcing me to take the Sword...**

"**Jaga?"**

**The ghostly jaguar ignores me and forces me to hold the mystical blade before my eyes and, almost instantly, I feel a sharp stabbing pain in both of my temples, as if a hot knife is being forced into my skull. I roar in pain and try to let go of the Sword, but my hands are frozen on the grip, and I'm forced to endure agony as every single memory that I have is viciously probed. I scream and roar as I thrash around, but I can't let go of the Sword. My head is pounding; it feels like it's on fire.**

**One by one, all of my memories and thoughts are scanned; Katzeran's birth, the day I found out that Cheetara was pregnant, our wedding...and eventually, we reach my childhood memories. For so long, I have kept myself in the dark about my past, but now I have the nastiest feeling that my secrets are about to be revealed...**

"**SUBMIT!"**

**I look up and see that I'm in a pitch black room with someone from my past before me.**

"**Father? Is that really you?"**

"**SUBMIT!"**

**I try to let go of the Sword of Omens again, and this time, I can; it falls to the floor where it lodges itself into the stone, and this time when I try to grab it again, the grip badly scorches my hand.**

"**Father, what does this mean?"**

"**You are no longer a Thundercat, and your memories of being a Thundercat have been erased by the sword of Omens. Submit, NOW!"**

"**But...Father...I..."**

"**ENOUGH!"**

**I nervously look up at my Father as he takes a step away from me before starting to walk off. "Father, wait! Please!" I shout, tears streaming down my cheeks as I realise how much I sound like a scared little cub. He suddenly stops before turning to me and snarling "You're not my son! My son was Lion-O, the Lord of the Thundercats; he wasn't the **_**MONSTER **_**that you are..."**

"Lion-O! Lion-O, wake up! For fuck's sake, _wake up_!"

I open my eyes, and through the haze of being woken up so rapidly from my nightmare, I'm so disorientated and confused. "Wha...What happened?" I ask, only just aware of the alarms blaring.

"The alarm's been set off! It's the Bounty Hunters! They're here!"

"SHIT!" I half roar, half cry as I sit up. I get out of bed and throw my clothes on, before rushing out of the door after attaching the Claw Shield to my hip and placing the Sword in. We hurry to the Control Room to find everyone gathered inside.  
As I start giving out orders, something twigs in my mind; I turn to Cheetara and say "Cheetara, doesn't Katzeran usually...come running to us...when the alarms go off?"

I see that the colour drains from my wife's face as she looks at me, obviously realising what I was getting at. "Katzeran!" she cries, and then she turns and runs out of the room with me by her side. "I _knew _that something bad was going to happen! I just knew it!" I say, but the cheetah stays silent, the panic and worry evident on her face.

We reach our son's room, and upon running in and switching the light on, I see that Katzeran isn't in his bed, and the window is wide open, meaning that whoever took our son intended on a speedy getaway without getting noticed. "No!" we both cry in unison. "There's no way that he could be hiding. We'd be able to hear him crying!" I say, and then I notice the note on our cub's bed. I grab it then read it out loud;

"You should have listened to Saborr and handed Sebastian over to us when we told you to. We warned you that you'd pay, and now you have. Maybe next time you'll listen, Thundercat."

"Why didn't I notice before?" I growl with rage as I crumple the note in the palm of my hand. Those wolves have our son. They have our cub, and they'll pay for what they have done!

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Well, do you have him?"

I turn around and see that Clyde and Wayne are dragging a burlap sack behind them, the contents of which is visually wriggling and squirming in distress, making such an annoying high pitched noise, sounding awfully similar to a dying cat. The pair of wolves look sheepish, so I say "Well! Show me what's in the bag!"

They quickly undo it and tip the contents out; a young Thunderian cub tumbles out onto the floor, snarling, hissing and growling, and still making the high-pitched noise. I laugh as I realise that the cub is trying to roar.

"I told you to get Sebastian, _not _a freaking cub!"

"But, Sir, the cub was easier to get, and he's a rare species."

"Really? Bring him here!"

The pair of wolves drag the youngster forwards, and he starts crying as he stands before me. His mane is a bright yellowish-blonde and littered with the same pattern of black spots that cover his shoulders, back, and the backs of his arms and thighs, and I also see that there are rosettes on his back, meaning that the cub is a cross between a lion and a cheetah.

"How old are you, boy?" I ask the sobbing Litah.

"F...F...Fi...Five." he gasps between breaths, tears streaming down his cheeks "I want to go home! I want my Mum and Dad!"

"SHUT UP!" I shout, but I only succeed in startling the young cub, making him cry harder. "For God's sake! What's your name?"

"K...Ka...Katzeran..."

My blood turns to ice in my veins. My friends kidnapped the Prince of New Thundera and Third Earth; I have the young son of King Lion-O and Queen Cheetara in front of me...

**_To be Continued..._**

**_Next time on Thundercats:_**

**_After the young Prince of Thundera has been kidnapped, Saborr decides to get rid of the evidence by selling the Litah cub on the Plun-darrian Black Market to avoid having to pay for his crimes, but will Lion-O and Cheetara be able to stop him and foil the Wolfman's plans, or will the pair be forced to lose their son?_**

**_Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!_**


	22. Chapter 21: War Of Change

_**A/N: It's that time of the year again. Exams are in full swing, and so this has taken me a while. :(**_

_**But I'm glad to be able to present you with the new chapter of Wake Up. Please enjoy! :D :)**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Tuesday 29**__**th**__** March 2016**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Saturday 7**__**th**__** May 2016**_

_**Song/s: War of Change by Thousand Foot Krutch**_

Chapter 21: War of Change

"There's no sign of their ship anywhere, Lion-O. We've fully scanned every sector multiple times, but we can't find anything."

I roar with rage and slam my fist into the door of the Control Room, badly denting the metal as I pant, trying to hide the tears of anger and guilt that flow down my cheeks. It's been nearly six hours since Katzeran went missing, and both me and Cheetara are desperate and anxious to get our cub back.

"Well, scan everything again!" I say, the emotion thick in my voice as Cheetara gently hugs me.

Wilykat gulps, nervously looking at me as he says "But, Lion-O, another scan wouldn't do anything because if we haven't found anything before, we still won't find anything now..."

"I DON'T _CARE_!" I suddenly scream, my anger boiling over at the young wildcat's words "Run another scan NOW!"

"You've had us scan all the sectors nearly ten times already," Wilykit says as she looks at me, the fear in her eyes showing how scared she is of me. I sigh before throwing myself down in one of the seats. Cheetara sits down beside me as I say "I don't understand how this could have happened. How could they have slipped past the guards?" Then the realisation hits me. "It must have been an inside job! By the time we got to Katzeran's room, the guards were gone. They either abandoned their posts, or they were in with the kidnapping...by Jaga, that's it!"

I get up and run to the telescreen; Tygra gets up and lets me sit in the seat, so I pull up the CCTV footage from the cameras in the hallway, knowing what to look for, and I see it.

"Look, right there!" I say, zooming in on the footage and pointing at the guards outside my son's room; as the alarms sound, the guards stay where they are, but rush into the room after two Wolfmen dressed in black, one of which is carrying a sack. I growl angrily before changing the camera view to the one which I'd had installed in our son's room, and when I see what happened, I roar with rage for a second time; one of the Wolfmen roughly seizes my cub by the nape of his neck and taunts him as he tries to run past him, and through the audio, I can hear Katzeran's squeaky cries of distress, and his attempts to roar as he kicks out at the Wolf who is holding him. The Wolfman shoves the young Litah cub into the sack and ties it before opening the window, and the four make their quick exit, the last one out, one of the guards, leaving the note on the bed. A few minutes later, me and Cheetara run in, and I stop the footage.

"I _knew _it!" I say under my breath, then I turn the chair around to look at the other Thundercats before continuing "Those guards that were placed outside of Katzeran's room were in on the kidnapping, and they left with them."

"But why didn't the ThunderGuard troops that were patrolling the outside of the Lair catch them?" Cheetara says, and I detect the tone of desperation in my wife's voice.

"I don't know, Cheetara." I say as I stand up, "But we're going to find him. I _promise _you that. And if we can't, then maybe the Sword of Omens can."

I draw the Sword from the Claw Shield, and as I hold it in front of my eyes, I say "Sword of Omens, give me Sight beyond Sight! Show me the whereabouts of my son Katzeran!"

The crossbars curl, and the dim fog fills my mind, but I can't see anything; just a wall of static electricity accompanied by a high-pitched droning static-like sound which gets louder until the point where I can no longer bear it, then I hear an horrific scream of agony which sounds awfully similar to Katzeran's scream...I drop the Sword as I yelp in pain, falling to my knees and covering my ears as I violently shake, my breath ragged and gasping. I can't hear anything because all I can hear is the roaring in my ears.

"Lion-O! Lion-O, are you ok? Tygra, go and get a glass of water! Quickly!"

I look up and see that Cheetara is helping me sit back against the wall, and Snarf is, as usual, standing by me nervously, begging me to talk to him. I groan, rubbing my head as I say "I...I'm fine, Snarf. Quit worrying about me..."

Tygra comes back into the Control Room and hands me a glass of water. "Lion-O, what did you see?" my wife asks as she helps me get up and sits me back in the chair.

"I...I didn't see anything, but I think that Katz is in danger. Before the Sword's vision cut out, I heard a scream, and it sounded _exactly _like him. In fact, I think it _was _him." I say, and the colour drains from the cheetah's face. The thought that those Wolfmen could be hurting our son only adds to the rage that I feel.

I turn to Sebastian and say "Saborr mentioned some stuff about the fact that if we knew what happened in your past, we'd have you executed. Why is that?"

The Wolfman scoffs slightly before saying "Saborr is a liar. If I were you, Lion-O, I wouldn't believe anything that he says."

I stand up and grab him by his shoulders and pin him against the wall, growling viciously. "Tell me," I snarl, bearing my fangs at the Wolfman "Tell me or I swear to the Gods, I will force you to talk!" I hold my hand up close to the Wolf's face, and allow my two inch long claws to spring forth.

"I'll tell you, but you just don't need to go all brutal on me." Sebastian says as he pushes me off of him, "Look, I know that you want Katzeran back safe, but you don't need to go like that on us."

I can't help but growl slightly, but I calm down, and make my way out of the Control Room and towards the Council Chamber. We take our seats, and I turn to Sebastian and say "So?"

"My past isn't necessarily what I'd call innocent. When I was a pup, my father mysteriously disappeared after me and my brothers and sisters were born. I was the only one of the litter to which my mother gave birth that survived infancy. By the time I was about 14, maybe 15 years old, I was to be enrolled in the army cadets, but my home village was raided and I was kidnapped, and forced to work alongside the squadron that would become the spies and assassins. I was forced into completing rigorous training courses, and when I was 17..." he pauses halfway through, takes a deep breath then sighs before continuing, "When I was 17, I was forced to kill my first Thunderian; a young lion, who looked _exactly _like you, Lion-O."

I'm taken aback. No wonder why Sebastian wouldn't tell any of us about all of his past. "Anything else that you wish to tell us?" I ask, looking the Wolfman in the eyes as I take a sip from my cup of coffee.

"Well, after that, I left and when I was 24, I met my wife Bailey and we had pups, but when I was 32, I was called back to resume my training, and soon afterwards, I was dispatched along with my squadron to New Thundera..." he looks nervous, but he continues, "My squadron was sent here with one task; to kill the Lord of the Thundercats. I abandoned them because I didn't agree with what we had to do, so I turned myself in because I wanted to change my way of life."

"How do I know that you're not lying?" I say accusingly, making the Wolf defensively say "I swear to God, Lion-O, I'm not lying to you."

I still stare at Sebastian, not 100% sure that I should trust him. If he did do what he said he did in his past, then he probably knows how to worm his way out of trouble by lying.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

_**I feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I look at the youngest of my newborn twin boys. I can't believe that Leandra died last night. She seemed so full of life, yet she died from losing too much blood. It breaks my heart to know that Lion-O, my youngest son, has only a 60% chance of surviving his first few months. He's so small, and when he was born, it took the midwives nearly 10 minutes to get him to start breathing, but Leo was perfectly fine.  
One of the nurses checks my son's vitals on the monitor as she says "He's such a little angel, my King. Depending on how well he improves, you might be able to hold him again in a few days, maybe even feed him."**_

_**I sigh heavily as Lion-O lets out a tiny, yet lusty cry, squirming slightly on the warming plate as I place my finger into his tiny palm. He opens his eyes slightly, showing a slither of dark orangey-brown before settling off to sleep again. He was only just a little bit bigger than my hands when I held him, and knowing that he's already had to have two operations makes me feel so desperate.  
"I know that he's kept lovely and warm in the incubator, but his hand felt so cold." I say as I look up at the nurse.  
"That's because of how poor his circulation is. It's extremely common in newborn cubs, but because he's so small, it's more noticeable, and it's a lot more serious. Why did you decide to name him Lion-O? It's not a very common name in the lion clan."  
I sigh, before saying "Leandra's uncle's name was Lion-O. He died of prostate cancer when she turned 23, and the next day, we found out that she was pregnant. The name stuck, and when we found out that she was having twins, we named the biggest Leo after my great grandfather."**_

"Claudus? Are you in here?"

"Over here, Leandra." I say, and I hear the lioness approaching me from behind, but she isn't alone.

"Is there something bothering you, my love? You don't seem as cheerful as usual."

I sigh before saying "I just really miss being able to see our boys. We've been dead for years now, and consequently, it's been years since we have seen either of them; Leo was just a cub when I last saw him properly, and the last time I saw Lion-O properly was when he saved me from the Shadowmaster. That alone was nearly 7 years ago, and you never got the chance to see them."

"I know that you feel guilty, but there was nothing that you could do to stop your death from happening. And I can safely say the same thing about my death too. Jaga tells me that when I died, it gave Lion-O the chance to live; one soul for the benefit of another."

"I know that, Leandra. But bringing them up without you by my side was horrific, and when it came to explaining to them why you died once they were old enough to know, I couldn't bring myself to tell Lion-O the truth, so I only told Leo the truth. But I reckon that, by now, Leo would have told Lion-O the truth."

My wife remains silent, so I sigh before saying "And although they were close, they _constantly _fought and were at each other's throats all the time. Great Jaga, I remember when Lion-O broke his leg after Leo pushed him out of a tree in the park."

That day was horrid. I can clearly remember rushing to the Cats' Lair carrying Lion-O, who had passed out from the pain and was as pale as a sheet. Leo did seem to regret what he'd done, but I could tell that he was also slightly proud of what he'd done. I severely scolded Leo afterwards, but I also scolded Lion-O too because they both knew that they weren't allowed to climb trees...

_**"D...D...Da...Dad?"  
I gently squeeze my son's hand as he, very slowly, wakes up from the anaesthesia. His skin and fur are pale and clammy, and tears are streaming down his cheeks. He's shaking so much, but I think it's just one of the side effects of being anesthetized.  
"Don't worry, Lion-O. I'm here," I say to my eight year old son as I lift a bag up onto my knees "And, look who I've bought for you!"  
I rummage round in the bag until I manage to find what I'm looking for. Lion-O's eyes seemingly light up the second he sees what I'm holding.  
"You bought my Doofle..." he says in a weak voice as I lie the old teddy under his arm, then he asks "Did you find RagCat, too?"**_

_**I laugh slightly as I take the threadbare purple cat from the bag and lie it under the arm across his chest, next to the Doofle. He's had both ever since he was a baby. He always sleeps with them tucked safely under his arm, and when I tried to get rid of them when he turned six, he wouldn't stop crying, even though both were filthy, covered with stains, and smelled horrid. It was Cheetara's mother who made the RagCat. I can remember the day Lion-O was released from the infirmary, nearly a whole month after his birth. She gave me a floppy parcel containing a purple teddy cat. We'd already got the Doofle at this point because Leandra made both the boys a stuffed animal before they were born. Leo got a shark and Lion-O got a cat-like bear.**_

_**"Dad?  
I look down at my son. He's absolutely terrified of needles and injections, but he's hooked up to a drip and a morphine pump. It's not fair on him anymore. He's just had an operation to straighten the broken ends of bone in his right leg, and his shin down to his ankle is covered in plaster. I feel so sorry for him because he must be in so much pain.**_

_**"Where's Leo?"**_

_**"He's at school, like you should be..."**_

_**"Why can't I see him? Why can't he see me?"**_

_**"You've only just woken up from major surgery. He might be able to come and see you after school, but I can't promise anything. Besides, I thought you and Leo were in school, and you both KNOW that you're not allowed to be climbing trees!"**_

"_**Dad, I'm so, so sorry..."**_

"_**Hey, Lion-O, what's done is done. It's in the past, but at least now you know what you're not allowed to do..."**_

I sigh slightly before saying "I think that I only added more fuel to the fire because when I told them both that Lion-O was to become the Lord of the Thundercats and King of Thundera, Leo got so mad and jealous because he was the eldest, so when Lion-O's training began when they both turned 10, I was forced to include Leo in."

I hear Leandra sigh, and I feel her hand on my shoulder. "I can understand how you feel about that, Claudus. But I believe that you made the right decision. After those two got separated on the day that Old Thundera blew up, they took their own paths, and they worked out fine."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Wake up! NOW!"

Katzeran screams in pain as I roughly grab him by the nape of his neck, seizing a handful of his soft fur and hauling him up off of the floor, the action of which makes the young Litah cub start to cry, but he tries to act threateningly by growling viciously and bearing his fangs whilst still trying to roar, even though he can't manage more than a high-pitched squeaky rumble.

"I want to go _home_! I want my Mum and Dad! Please! Let me go!" he sobs, his voice hoarse because he was screaming and crying last night.

"Listen, cub!" I snap as I shake him roughly, making him yelp and cry harder "You're _NEVER _going to see your Mum or Dad again! And nor will they ever find you again, Katzeran!"

I drop him and he falls on his back, sobbing desperately. "Get up, wretch!" I snarl, grabbing my whip from my belt, "I said GET UP _NOW_!"

He screams as I crack the whip right next to his head. I couldn't give a shit whether he's five years old or not. All I know is that it's illegal to sell Thunderians and their cubs on Plun-darr, so I'll be selling him through the black market to hide what I've done. I unbuckle my riding crop, grab one of the cub's arms and, as I haul him up, I hold his right arm out and strike him hard on his chest with the riding crop, making him scream and cry harder. He's such a baby; all he's done so far is cry and it's really pissing me off.

"I'll give you something to cry about, you little shit!" I snarl, dragging the youngster behind me as I enter a room next to the holding cells. If he's going to learn, I have to be brutal with him.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

**A few days later...**

I can't sleep. Everyone has been telling us that it's all going to be ok and that Katzeran is going to be fine, but I'm losing my faith. The Sword of Omens can't show Lion-O where he is, and the trace has long since gone dead.

Tears stream down my cheeks as I roll over and look at Lion-O; my husband is lying asleep with his back to me, meaning that I can see the scars on his back. He's been up every night at the monitors trying to find any more clues as to where our cub might be, and so as a result, he's had next to no sleep and I've found him asleep at the monitors every morning. He seriously needs his sleep because he's been falling asleep at the table whilst we've been having breakfast.

The young lion starts murmuring in his sleep, and I know that he's dreaming about something. I roll onto my back and sigh, deep in thought. I can't help wondering about the whereabouts of my cub and whether he's safe or not. I just want him back, but we don't have any ideas about where he is. But I can feel myself drifting off to sleep...

"**It seems cruel, Saborr. Tearing the cub from his home and his parents, especially at such a young age. I don't see the whippings and beatings as being necessary, though. It just teaches him to expect pain and agony upon doing something."**

**I chuckle as he watch the young Litah cub walking towards us, trembling at the sight of my whip and riding crop. Clyde is right.**

"**With Katzeran being so young, he is useless to us. However, I **_**did **_**hear my girlfriend talking about how she wanted a fur coat made out of the pelt of a Thunderian cub." I mutter to my fellow Wolfman, and we both chuckle, making the cub shudder.**

"**Hey! Boy! Get over here NOW!" Clyde shouts, but Katzeran growls and snaps "No!"**

**I stand up and walk towards him in a menacing manner, unbuckling and raising my riding crop threateningly, the action of which makes him stumble backwards, crying with fear. I know that he's just a little boy, but I couldn't care less. Despite the fact that he's so young, I bring the crop down and hit the Litah cub around the face with it, putting as much force into the blow as possible; he screams in agony as blood trickles down his cheek, the crimson fluid dripping off his chin as he backs off, crying even harder.**

"**And let that be a lesson to you, you pathetic little wretch!" I shout at the trembling, crying cub, and then I re-join Clyde.**

"**Saborr, that was uncalled for!"**

"**What?" I say, and then Clyde gets up and walks over to Katzeran, who instantly backs away out of fear, still crying and screaming. He checks the Litah cub's cheek before saying "Saborr, you've really injured him. The cut's pretty deep and it won't stop bleeding."**

**I growl angrily before getting up and walking towards them, scowling at Katzeran. I can see the wound on his cheek, and so I roughly grab his arm and pull him up, dragging him behind me as I walk to the med bay.**

"**What are you gonna do to me?" the juvenile Litah asks fearfully as we walk into the med bay, so I say "I'm going to sort you out, boy!"**

**I drag him over to the sink and run the tap, forcing his head under the flow and grabbing a bar of carbolic soap. I start scrubbing at the wound, making a bloody lather as the cub screams and cries harder. **

"**SHUT UP!" I shout as I roughly pull his mane, washing the lather away before checking the wound; it's long and not very deep, but I know that it has a chance of becoming infected if I leave it. I take the antiseptic spray and coat the wound in it, trying not to listen to Katzeran's piercing screams and cries as he violently wriggles and squirms.**

**The sooner we're rid of this little wretch, the sooner I'll be happy. Plus, the sooner I'll have a chance to prevent myself from being connected to the kidnapping. Once the Litah cub has been sold on the Black Market, all I'll have to do is buy his pelt back and take it to the Tailor's...**

I wake up and sit bolt upright, panting as if I've been strangled. I'm bathed in sweat, and I'm struggling to catch my breath. That dream was from Saborr's perspective, and I can't help but feel pure fear at the plans which the Wolfman has for my young son.

I look at Lion-O, who is still asleep, lying on his front with his arms wrapped around his pillows, his head to the side, allowing me to hear his deep, throaty snoring and purring. I know that he really needs to sleep, but my news can't wait. I shake my husband's arm as I murmur into his ear "Lion-O. Lion-O, wake up."

He shrugs me off and rolls onto his side, facing away from me as he groans "Leave me alone, Cheetara. I'm trying to sleep..."

"Lion-O, it's important because it's about Katzeran."

Lion-O sits up like a shot and says "_What_?" I can see the look on my husband's face; he seems so worried, yet so intrigued at the same time.

"I...I had a vision in the form of a dream. I think that Saborr is planning to sell Katz on the Plun-darrian Black Market. But he also mentioned about his girlfriend wanting a fur coat made out of the fur of a Thunderian cub." I say "They're on their way to Plun-darr."

Not even a second passes before my husband is out of bed and changing into his uniform. He looks absolutely furious, and I know that nothing is going to stop him now that he's got his mind set on his plan of action.

"Lion-O, what are you doing?"

He looks at me before saying "We're going to rescue Katzeran before Saborr manages to carry out his plan."

"But, Lion-O, it's 3am. We should wait..."

"Well, I'm not waiting. You can come with me, or you can stay here."

I sigh before saying "Alright, we'll go now..."

We run to the hangar, climbing into the Feliner as the roof of the hangar opens; Lion-O fires up the engines, and we rise into the early morning sky and start our journey to Plun-darr.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"Lion-O, we should have told the other Thundercats!"

I breathe out deeply as my wife talks to me, focusing on piloting the Feliner. "And if we _had _have told the other Thundercats, we'd have to have held a Council Meeting to discuss everything, and upon leaving if we had have done that, Katzeran could have been sold or, even worse, killed. I wasn't going to risk that, so that's why I decided that we leave when we did." I say, ever-so-slightly annoyed by the cheetah's comment.

I know that for the past few months, Panthro has been building a second Feliner, which would mean that the other Thundercats would be able to catch up with us, but I don't care. All I am focused on is rescuing my cub; all I want is for him to be home safe and sound, and for us to be a happy family again for the first time in a week, meaning that our cub has been missing for a week too long.

"You've gone quiet again."

I look at Cheetara as she anxiously watches me, and I sigh. "I'm just really worried about Katzeran. It's been nearly a week since we last saw him, so how do we know that he's perfectly fine?"

I feel her hand close on top of mine as she soothingly says "Lion-O, I am 100 per cent certain that our little boy is going to be fine. When I had my vision, he had been hit by Saborr, but he was ok other than that." She gently kisses my cheek as tears trickle down my cheeks. I can't help worrying that it's too late to save our son.

I sigh, and then say "We have about 3 hours left until we reach Plun-darr. We'll be detected on the airspace, but we should be able to get away if we rig the Feliner for silent running."

We've been travelling for nearly 9 hours now, and we've been taking it in turns to pilot the craft, me more than Cheetara, so I am exhausted. I yawn and rub my eyes, making the cheetah look at me as she says "Lion-O, you go and get some sleep; I'll fly the Feliner the rest of the way. You need your sleep."

"Only if you're certain that you'll be ok." I say, to which my wife replies with "Lion-O, if I wasn't sure, I never would have said. Plus, you've barely slept since Katzeran was kidnapped. You need your rest, so go and get it."

I smile softly at the cheetah then get up, kissing her on the lips after I whisper in her ear "Darìonae t'yull ca'rrn, Cheetara. Darìonae t'yull ca'rrn."

She looks me in the eyes before saying "You never really speak in Ancient Thunderian. Darìonae t'yull ca'rrn y damiyda, Lyjon-Ø." Her golden eyes sparkle in the light of the cockpit, and I sigh deeply before walking towards the sleeping bunkers which were installed on the Feliner.

As I lie down on one of the beds, I allow my mind to wander. The sounds of the engines are somehow soothing, and that combined with my exhaustion is enough to lull me to sleep, and I dream...

"**Dad? Dad, are you there?"**

**My eyes slowly open upon hearing the voice. "K...Ka...Katzeran?" I whisper, realising that my son is somewhere in the darkness "Where are you?" I sit up and look around, only just able to make out a small figure in the gloom. It walks towards me then stops in the light; it **_**is **_**Katzeran. **

"**Dad, I'm scared." he whispers, tears trickling down his cheeks. He's sobbing, so I hold out my arms to him as I say "Come here, you."**

**The young Litah runs towards me, and I gently stroke his mane as I say "There, there, Katz; you're gonna be ok."**

**He chuckles slightly. "I know...But you won't..." he whispers, mere seconds before there's a sudden, sharp, agonizing pain just under my sternum. I howl in agony and look down to see that my five year old son has sank a large dagger deep into my chest. I fall backwards, trying to pull the blade from my body.**

"**Dad, I'm so sorry, but I had to." the young Litah wails, sobbing desperately as blood gushes up my throat and out of my mouth and nose. "But...Why?" I gasp, and then I hear a familiar evil cackle before a voice says "Well, Lion-O, how innocent is your sweet little boy now?"**

**I growl as Mumm-ra materialises behind my cub, grinning as he places a hand on the child's shoulder. "And what you don't know is that this cub will be raised to be a cold-hearted killer. He's trained to murder the Lord of the Thundercats."**

**Katzeran's eyes flash scarlet, and he walks towards me, snarling with his claws and fangs bared. "Katz, stop! You don't know what you're doing!" I shout, scooting backwards as I clutch the bloodied dagger, but my son still walks towards me, before pouncing as he growls. Tears stream down my cheeks as I close my eyes, holding the dagger up as I whisper "I'm so sorry, Katz..."; the weight of my cub landing on top of me knocks me backwards as I hear an agonized scream, and once I'm able to open my eyes, I see Katzeran before me, the blade of the dagger sank deep into his abdomen. **

**I can hear Mumm-ra cackling in the background over my son's crying. Blood is dripping onto my face from the Litah cub's lips, and tears are trickling down his cheeks as he gasps, but he doesn't collapse; instead, he gets up and tries to attack me again, but I'm ready for him this time. As he lunges at me again, I grab him and twist him into a chokehold. He screams, squirms and wriggles, desperate to break free, but I tighten my hold on the cub. "Dad! Let me go! Please!" he screams, but I don't listen to him. Tears stream down my cheeks as I say "I'm sorry, Katzeran. I'm so, so sorry..."**

**His actions eventually start to become less violent until he ceases to move at all, and I know that he's gone. I look up at Mumm-ra, who is staring at me in shock. I lie my son down on the floor, closing his eyes before looking up at Mumm-ra and glaring, growling deep in my throat. The Ancient Egyptian devil priest backs off as I stalk towards him, the fur on my body standing on end as I viciously growl and snarl with rage.**

"**YOU! You made me do this! This is all your fault!" I growl, before roaring as I launch at him...**

I sit up, panting desperately. I'm bathed in sweat, and the blankets are wrapped around me so tightly, constricting me to the point that I can't breathe. I'm panting hard, and I'm so disorientated. I look at the clock; it's now 6 in the morning, and Cheetara walks in before switching the light on.

"We're coming up to Plun-darr. Make sure that you prepare for landing, and for the mission." the cheetah says, and then she walks out of the door. I sigh, then force myself to get up. I hurry to the cockpit and sit back down in my seat as we hit the atmosphere. Flames spread across the windscreen before clearing a few minutes later to reveal a city surrounded by what looks like a wasteland. It's raining, and lightning streaks the sky.

"We need to find an area which we can land in that won't give us away." I say, and then a clearing catches my attention "How about there?"

"It's worth giving it a shot." Cheetara says, then we lock the Feliner in on it. Once we land, we get out and grab our cloaks. "Are you sure that we've hidden the Feliner well enough?" I ask as we hurry away, pulling the cloaks around us to disguise ourselves.

"I'm sure everything will be fine." the cheetah says, and we head off out of the clearing. "The sooner we find Katzeran, the sooner we can leave!" I say, mud splashing up my knees as we run. Thunder booms overhead as we hurtle for cover from the rain.

"Just remember to stay hidden. I think this is the Capital city Atzillach. If so, the place will be crawling with guards, and if anything, our scents will probably give us away." I say as I look at my wife "That's why I picked out cloaks that haven't been washed in a while."

"I noticed..." Cheetara says, sounding like she's really struggling to not vomit. I don't particularly like the smell either, but I'm unfortunately going to have to put up with it.

We eventually clear the forest and approach the city gates, which are guarded by two heavily armed Wolfmen who tower over us. The pair stop us, and the taller of the two sneers at me before saying "And what the hell do you two want, eh? I've not seen the likes of you around before."

I try to make my voice sound as weak as possible, forcing myself to wheeze slightly as I say "Please, sir, let me and my wife through; we only wish to go to the market."

"We'll let you through, _if _you show us your passes." the other says, chuckling as I turn to look at Cheetara with a concerned expression on my face. "No passes, no entry!"

I'm just about to reply, but there's a sudden loud crashing sound, and we all turn to look at where it came from, and there's a cloaked figure scaling down the wall, a bag lying at the base of the wall with jewellery and gems spilling out of it. The pair of guards run to the figure, so me and Cheetara take our chances and run through the open gate, losing ourselves amongst the crowds of Plun-darrians.

"It's _really _busy! We should try to find somewhere less crowded!" Cheetara says, and so I nod before leading her towards a side street. We duck in and walk down it, away from the business of the main street.

Only when we're around the corner and under cover do I dare take the hood off. My mane is soaked, and I'm freezing cold. "I don't know how we're going to find the Black Market. It's just as illegal on Plun-darr as it is on New Thundera, so it's going to be well hidden." I say to my wife, shivering violently. The cheetah isn't any better off; she's drenched, and her long mane is in rat's tails.

"Ay! What the hell do ye think yer doing?"

A sudden voice makes us both jump, and we draw our weapons as we turn around; there's a Wolfman walking towards us, unfazed by the torrential downpour of rain.

"If anyone sees ye both out 'ere, they'll kill ye both!" the wolf says as he stops before us. I growl and prepare to attack if necessary, but he says "Ye don't need to worry 'bout me; I'm not gonna attack ye. I actually like Thunderians. If ye come wi' me, I'll make sure yer safe."

I look at Cheetara as I put the Sword of Omens away. _"Should we trust him? We've only just met him!" _I ask in Thunderian, to which my wife replies with _"He's probably our best chance at getting Katzeran back."_

I nod then turn to the Wolfman. "Go on then, lead the way." I say, and so he leads us into a dark hallway, which ends up in some sort of tavern. The windows are blacked out, and the door is locked. I look at Cheetara nervously, but the Wolf says "I just closed up fer th' night. Ye don't have to worry about any sudden intrusions, Lion-O."

I stop in my tracks. "How the hell do you know who I am?" I ask, very stupidly, earning me the response of "Yer infamous here, Lord of the Thundercats. Both you and Cheetara are. Especially as ye both _are _the King and Queen of New Thundera. Besides, what brings ye here by yerselves?"

"Our son was kidnapped by Saborr, the head of the Plun-darrian Secret Service Bounty Hunters. He plans to sell him over the Black Market," Cheetara says, tears streaming down her cheeks as she explains to the Wolfman "We need to find where the Black Market is so that we can save him. _PLEASE _tell me that you know where it is..." her voice cuts off and she starts crying desperately, burying herself in my chest.

"As it just so 'appens, I was goin' there m'self." the Wolfman says, but he looks at our clothing and says "But yer gonna have ta change yer outfits or get better cloaks; with that uniform, ye'll be recognised in seconds. I've got spare ones that'll completely cover ye."

**...**

"Follow me. It's this way."

I look behind me at Cheetara, then we continue to follow the Wolfman. "I should have asked you this earlier- so I apologise- but what's your name?" I ask as we stop outside of a large building. The Wolf turns to look at me. "The name's Thor. Ye'll find th' stall where they sell th' Thunderian prisoners in th' middle o' th' market. Good luck at gettin' yer son back."

We thank him then hurry towards the middle of the market. There are many stalls selling dangerous weapons and traps, as well as black magic items and different potions and poisons. There's a massive crowd gathered around one stall, so we decide to check it out. But when we hear the announcement over the loudspeaker, my heart starts pounding, and me and my wife start fighting our way through the crowds, desperate to get to the front; "Up next, we have a really special and rather expensive cub. I hope you've all saved up your money, because knowing the species and who the parents of this youngster are, he's worth a lot. C'mon boys, bring him out!"

We reach the front, just in time to see our son being dragged out onto the stage, with Saborr standing at the edge of the stage, his arms crossed over his chest. Katzeran's skin and fur are littered with bruises and marks, making me feel such pure, intense rage. Due to my sensitive hearing, I can my cub sobbing and sniffling, but he suddenly stops where he's standing.

"For fuck's sake, you little shit! MOVE!" the slave trader yells, tugging on the chains around Katzeran's wrists, making the young Litah yelp in surprise and pain. But he doesn't move. He stops completely, and it looks like he's sniffing the air; he's just caught mine and Cheetara's scents. He looks directly at us and speaks, but I can't hear him, meaning that I have to lip-read; "Mum? Dad? Is that you?"

I raise my head a bit and stare at Saborr in the eyes, then turn to Katz. I signal to him to be quiet, then turn to walk away slightly. "Hey! The one in the grey cloak! Stop him!" I hear Saborr shout, so I try to fight my way forward, but someone roughly seizes my right arm and drags me back before pulling my hood down. I glance back at Cheetara, and see that my wife is in a similar position. I can hear shouts of "It's Lion-O and Cheetara!" and "Kill them before they can escape!"

Me and Cheetara back up, pressing ourselves against the stage as the Plun-darrians advance on us from all around. I draw the Sword of Omens, and Cheetara pulls her bo-staff from the sheath on her arm. I can't believe that this is happening; I can hear Katzeran screaming, and as I look behind me, he fights his way through the guards that try to hold him back, and he jumps down off the stage behind us and hides behind us both. I press him behind us as we're forced back by the relentlessly advancing mob of Plun-darrians. How are we going to get out of here?****

**_To be Continued..._**

**_Next time on Thundercats:_**

**_After successfully travelling to Plun-darr to rescue their son Katzeran, Lion-O and Cheetara have encountered a slight setback in their mission. With all of Plun-darr on high alert, will they be able to escape from the planet and return home to New Thundera safely without further jeopardy? _**

**_Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!_**


	23. Chapter 22: Safe And Sound

_**A/N: - I can't even believe that I literally typed BANG in the story, but I kinda had no other choice because I didn't know what else to do 'x_x**_

_**But as usual, I hope that you enjoy it! o3o**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, and explicit language.**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Monday 9**__**th**__** May 2016**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Monday 30**__**th**__** May 2016**_

_**Song/s: Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift.**_

Through the years,

It remains.

Blood I've spilled

On these plains.

Though it burns, I shan't fall.

For the hope of many, I shall bear it all.

Chapter 22: Safe And Sound

What have I done? Why was I so foolish as to get us wound up in this madness? But I can't deny the fact that this is reality, and that me, my wife and my five year old son are trapped in the middle of an illegal Plun-darrian Black Market, and the people who have come to buy off the stalls are rapidly closing in on us. This is all my fault and I don't know if I can ever forgive myself for what I've done.

I defensively hold the Sword of Omens in front of me. Even if those people are Plun-darrian, some of them are innocent. I can't kill any of them; I've killed far too many people already.

I hold the Sword out in front of me before roaring "Thunder! Thunder! Thunder! Thundercats, _HO_!"

The cat's symbol rockets into the sky, illuminating the dark, inky depths with red light. I feel something roughly close around my right arm and throw me down onto the floor. I look up, and see a Plun-darrian who looks similar to Monkian, and he's raising a large, obviously dangerous knife above his head, preparing to bring it down and slay me.

I quickly roll out of the way; the knife strikes the open ground as I stand up. "Cheetara, grab Katzeran and make sure to hold onto him tightly, ok?" I say, so she takes hold of our cub in a secure grip, and I tightly loop my arm around both of them. "Keep as still as possible!" I say, and I aim the Claw Shield at the ceiling; the grapple line shoots out of the claw and winds around a crossbeam. I jump, and we soar through the air over the crowd of Plun-darrians, making Katzeran scream in fear and bury his face into Cheetara's chest.

We land on the floor and run as fast as we can out of the building. "How the hell are we going to get out of here?" I ask, looking at Cheetara as she runs alongside me, holding Katzeran, who is still crying. He must be so frightened. After all, he _is _just a little cub.

"Mum, Dad, what's happening?" he asks fearfully, his eyes wide with alarm. "Don't you worry about it, Katz, ok?" Cheetara says as the sound of sirens fills the air, along with the sounds of dogs barking and the shouts of Plun-darrians.

"In there! Quickly!" I say, pointing to a dark side street. We run into the darkness and press ourselves against a wall behind a large dumpster, panting deeply and desperately trying to get our breath back. I pull Katzeran onto my lap and press my hand over his mouth in case he cries again, which he does, so I hold mine and Cheetara's cub close to my chest and cuddle him to try to calm him down. He's shaking and sobbing uncontrollably, but he eventually calms down and stops crying after I repeatedly whisper "It's ok, Katz." into his ear.

The Sword of Omens suddenly roars in warning of danger, so I take the Sword in my hand and hold it in front of me as I say "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

The crossbars curl and the fog fills my mind, and I see the Plun-darrians searching for us. "The Mutant Police and their sniffer dogs are hunting for us. We haven't got much time." I say, then the vision changes to that of the Feliner II, which is screaming towards the Plun-darrian atmosphere. Panthro, Tygra, Pumyra and Snarf are aboard it, and Panthro's face is a terrifying mask of rage; I'm in for it.

I put the Sword back into the Claw Shield as I say "The other Thundercats are coming in the Feliner Mark 2. They're going to be here soon, so you take Katzeran and stay here. I'm going to try and lead those blasted Mutants _far _away from here. You either wait for the Feliner Mark 2 to get here, or you leave in the original one and contact them to tell them to retreat and escape. Either way, I'm not going to be going back with you. You're to leave me here, ok?"

The cheetah gasps in horror. "Lion-O, I am _not _leaving you here! Those Plun-darrians will _kill _you if they catch you!"

I chuckle slightly. "And who says that they're even going to get the chance to even get anywhere near me? Besides, I'll be getting what I deserve for doing this."

Cheetara looks at me. "Lion-O, please, don't be such a martyr! Please, you've _got _to wait here with us."

"Cheetara, I'm not letting those Plun-darrians get their grimy hands on you and Katzeran. They can have me, but not you two." I say as I give Katzeran back to Cheetara "I love you two _so_ much. If I don't make it back to New Thundera alive, then don't let anyone forget the Code of Thundera. Keep the memory of it strong in everyone's minds, and don't forget me." I kiss the cheetah on the lips then kiss Katz on his forehead and ruffle his mane, before turning around and running out of the side street. This is it. Time for me to pay for what I have done.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"I can't believe that he's done this!"

"Panthro, calm down! Remember, he'simmature because he's mentally a teenager..."

"BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT HE CAN TURN AROUND AND STEAL THE FELINER TO TRAVEL TO PLUN-DARR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!" I roar as we strike the atmosphere "Besides, I'm gonna freaking _brain_ the kid when I see him! 'Mature' my fucking ass!"

Tygra looks at me anxiously, but I'm too enraged to care. How much trouble has Lion-O gotten himself into this time? The kid's _constantly _getting himself into trouble! One of these days, he's probably going to end up accidentally getting himself killed because of his impetuosity.

I can see a large city below us, and even though it's very dark, I can see what looks like a great black flood advancing through the streets. Then, I spot a familiar large black shape...

"Down there in that clearing! I think it's the Feliner." I say, so we land in the clearing. I can see the paint on the tail; it _is_ the Feliner, meaning that Lion-O, Cheetara and Katzeran are around this large city somewhere.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

What the hell am I doing? I must be mad, because I'm running through the streets of Atzillach like a lunatic, being chased by hordes of Plun-darrians. My heart is pounding against my ribcage, and I'm so thirsty. It feels like I've been running forever. But I can't stop. If I stop, I die. Yet, I can hear a familiar engine above me, and I know that it's the Feliner II.

I stop for a split second and duck into an alleyway to catch my breath. My lungs are burning, and so too are my legs. I don't know if I can go any further. I feel just about ready to collapse, but I know that I can't; I have to keep running, but I don't know where I'm running to. I turn to run again, just as I hear the sound of a gun being cocked...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

BANG!

My heart feels like it stops as I hear the sound of a gun being fired, seconds before the agonised roar of an adult male lion fills the air. I clutch Katzeran close to me as tears trickle down my cheeks.

"Mum! Mum, what was that?" he asks, his voice no more than a frightened whisper as he trembles.

"I...I don't...I don't know Katz..." I say, trying to hide the wavers in my voice. Oh, Gods of Thundera...please don't let Lion-O have been shot. PLEASE don't let him have been shot...No...No, please let it have missed him..."

I can hear footsteps rapidly approaching, so I press us both further behind the dumpster, grabbing my bo staff just in case I have to use it...

"Cheetara! Help me!"

I look up as I hear Lion-O's voice, seconds before the young lion staggers into view. He's walking in a strange manner, seemingly intoxicated by something, but he manages to make it to where me and Katzeran are sat before he collapses.

"Lion-O!" I cry as I rush to my husband's side, kneeling next to him as I try to help him up "Lion-O, are you ok? What happened to you?"

"Dad!" I hear Katzeran wail as I help Lion-O sit down against the wall, seconds before the young lion says "I...I was...I was sh...shot..."

He holds his hand out, and I see two large darts in his hand, the third still lodged in his shoulder; tranquilizer darts. The one in his shoulder is still half-full with the liquid, but as I try to pull it out of his shoulder, it suddenly injects the rest into him.

"Keep going! Keep searching! I doubt that they'll get very far now that Lion-O has those tranquilizers in his system! Even though they're slow-acting, they'll hopefully drop him in the next two minutes!"

I start to panic, especially when Katzeran cries "Mum? Mum, what's happening to Dad?" I look back and see Katz shaking Lion-O's arm. My son seems extremely worried about his father, who looks like he is struggling to fight against the effects of the tranquilizer darts. He's sweating and his entire body is visually trembling, and it instantly becomes obvious to me that, in whatever Lion-O was shot with, there were more than just tranquilizers in the dart; they must have been mixed with strong drugs for the young lion to be having such a reaction, and because he was shot with three of the bloody things, he now has a cocktail of drugs and sedatives in his system.

"Lion-O, listen to me. You need to keep fighting it. You _need _to stay conscious; you _can't _fall asleep orpass out!" I say as I make the young lion look into my eyes; his pupils are dilated, and I can tell that he's slipping into unconsciousness.

"Ch...Ch...Cheetara, wh...what's...h...happening to me?" I hear him mumble faintly, and I know that he's in BIG trouble. I roll him onto his back and drag him towards the wall and check his pulse; it's weak, and his breathing is shallow. Suddenly, he slumps forward, and I know that he's just fallen unconscious.

"Dad! DAD! Dad, wake up!" Katzeran pleads as he tries to wake the lion up, but I gently put a hand over the young Litah's mouth and say "Katz, you have to stay quiet, ok? Your Father is fine; he's just in a deep state of sleep."

He nods, but I can see the tears glistening on his eyelashes as he sniffles. His bond with me and Lion-O is extremely strong, as would be expected of the bond between a cub and their parents, and so I can fully understand why he's worrying about his Father...

**...**

"What the hell happened here?"

I look up as a voice –which I recognise as Panthro's- shouts out "What happened to Lion-O?"

I can see Panthro, Tygra, Pumyra, Bengali and Snarf running towards us, stopping dead at the sight of our unconscious leader and mine and Lion-O's beaten son.

"Lion-O was shot with tranquilizer darts; he's drugged and unconscious." I say as Katzeran nuzzles into my chest, shaking from the cold. I hold him close and drape my cloak around him to warm him up, and only then do I realise exactly how cold he feels. "Besides, how did you manage to get here without leading those Plun-darrians here?" I ask anxiously.

"I'm not sure, Cheetara. But we have to get out of here." Panthro says as he helps me up off of the floor. The panther and Tygra lift Lion-O up off of the floor, and we begin to hurry out of the city...

**...**

I softly smile as I look down at Lion-O and Katzeran. The pair are asleep on the bed in the med bay on the Feliner, and I feel such immense relief at the fact that my husband and son are safe. Lion-O had been given a strong medication to help get rid of the drugs in his system as quickly as possible, and when Pumyra suggested about putting Katzeran to bed after she had given the young cub something to eat and drink and checked over his wounds, my son was more than willing to comply because he was tired, and it _did _mean that he's get to cuddle up to his Father.

I gently brush a stray strand of Katzeran's golden mane from his forehead and kiss his forehead before turning to walk out of the door, but I hear Katzeran yawn then quietly say "M...Mum?"

I turn back around and see my cub looking at me, a groggy expression on his face from the painkillers he was given. "Mum, don't go. _Please _stay with me!" He yawns deeply for a second time as I sit down on the bed, before starting to purr as I gently cuddle him and stroke his mane, trying to get him to fall asleep again.

"We're...We're safe, right? This isn't a dream, right Mum?" he asks, and I hear the desperate tone in his voice. I gently pull the cub onto my lap and hold him close as I say "I promise, Katz. Nothing is _ever_ going to take you away from us _ever again_, my precious little baby." The young Litah purrs happily, nuzzling into my chest as he murmurs "I love you so much, Mum."

I smile slightly and say "I love you so much too, Katz, and I always will.

I hold my son close against my chest and cuddle him until he falls asleep, and once he's asleep, I lie him back down under the blanket and gently kiss his forehead before dimming the light and walking out, leaving the door open slightly.

I walk to the cockpit and sit down. Tygra looks at me and says "How are they?"

I sigh before saying "Lion-O is still out cold and unconscious, but Katzeran woke up so I stayed with him until he fell asleep. How much longer do we have until we reach New Thundera?"

"About two and a half hours, so I'd recommend that you go and get some rest too."

I sigh before saying "I can't rest because you need help with piloting the Feliner. It's a two man job; you can't do it by yourself."

Tygra smiles at me, but he remains silent. I can tell that Lion-O is going to be in SO much trouble when he wakes up. Yet, he's _always _managing to get himself into trouble. He's 26, but he acts like a cub half of the time. He's not learned _any _lessons from the past and, as much as I hate to say it, he probably is going to be punished for it.

Nothing else is said until we eventually reach New Thundera, and even then I'm the one who breaks the silence by saying "We'd better get lots of rest; it's around 1a.m. on New Thundera..."

I'm cut off by the door opening, and as I turn round, I see Lion-O walk in and sit down in the seat behind us. He looks pale, but it's good to see that he's finally awake. The young lion looks at us, but when he sees that nobody is going to talk to him, his face falls and he sighs sadly. He makes no attempt to talk, but I can hear him sniffling and sobbing slightly. I can tell that he feels guilty.

"Thank the Gods that you're alright, Lion-O." I say in attempt to get a response from the young lion; he grunts and shrugs his shoulders before muttering "Wish it wasn't this way..."

I sigh. He's in a bad mood. Great! I turn around to face him, and he instantly looks away from me, tears freely spilling down his cheeks. He looks so upset, and I understand why. He doesn't say anything for the rest of the journey, and once we eventually get back to New Thundera, he stalks off up the steps of the Cats' Lair without saying anything.

"Lion-O, wait..." I begin, but Tygra grabs my arm and says "Cheetara, if he's in a mood, then don't bother. Trying to talk to Lion-O when he's in a bad mood is like trying to talk to a brick wall; he won't listen to you."

I sigh, then collect Katzeran from the sleeping compartment. The five year old cub is still fast asleep, even after a long and rough journey. Sure enough, his body is littered with bruises and his fur is filthy, but I'll be bathing him in the morning.

I walk up the steps with Katzeran carefully held in my arms like a baby, on my way to his bedroom, and once we're there, Pumyra opens the door and switches the nightlight on. I lay the young Litah in his bed. He whimpers and twitches, kicking out slightly in his sleep, presumably having a pretty terrible nightmare. I look under his bed, and I find his plush polar bear. I carefully place it under his arm; the cub makes a sudden squeaky sound before clutching the teddy close to his chest, purring slightly in his sleep. I smile then gently kiss my son's forehead before walking out of the room, closing the door to behind me.

I walk towards mine and Lion-O's room, and when I walk in, I see the young lion lying in bed with his back to me. I can see the scars on his back, as well as a fairly large bruise on his right shoulder blade. I get changed and climb under the blankets before gently wrapping my arms around the lion's broad shoulders and chest.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" he asks in a low voice. He rolls over to look at me, and I see that he looks exhausted.

"I'm not mad at you, but I think that Panthro is." I say as I place my hands under his chin and look into his gleaming, gingery-orange eyes, which are rimmed with tears.

"Cheetara, I..." he begins, but I cut him off by pressing my mouth against his, passionately kissing him until I feel his body relax. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me towards him and holds me close to his chest, purring deep within his throat. We break for air as I say "I love you so much, Lion-O."

"I love you so much too, Cheetara." the lion whispers dreamily, nuzzling into my mane as I breathe in the scent of his fur, and with that, we fall asleep in each other's arms...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

**I open my eyes as something warm and wet is brushed onto my chest. There are heavy iron shackles around my wrists and ankles, and I can see some person or creature standing in front of me. It's wearing some sort of mask with a long, beak-like nose, and a large, hooded cloak.**

**I think that it sees me looking at it because it seizes a large knife from under its cloak before approaching me at a brisk pace. I look down, and see that a pentagram has been drawn on my bare chest in what seems to be blood.**

"**Do not worry, boy. I am going to free you from the demonic entity which clings to your soul and refuses to leave. I will make you pure once more!" the creature says as it notices how much I'm struggling against my bonds "I am not going to kill you, but this **_**is **_**going to be **_**extremely **_**painful!"**

**I growl as my claws involuntarily come forth and I snarl viciously at my captor, who laughs before plunging the knife deep into my thighs, creating searing wounds into which it then pours large handfuls of salt. I scream in agony at the burning pain until it feels like my lungs are going to burst, but the masked creature laughs then continues to complete sickening acts of torture on me.**

**It begins to cut deep into my abdomen, slicing my flesh open and slowly pulling my intestines out as I scream in agony. Hot blood streams down my body as it dumps my innards into a bucket before stuffing even more handfuls of salt into the wound. The burning pain in unbearable, but I'm not passing out. **

"**You are demonically possessed by the devil Satos. This is the only way to save you!" the creature says, then it pulls off the mask. What I see beneath it is something from within my darkest nightmares from when I was a cub; a pale face with eyeless sockets and a mouth chock-full with razor sharp, blade-like fangs. It tips my head to the side then bites deep into my neck, making me scream as blood spurts from the wound. Its teeth are grinding and shredding my flesh, working like a drill does.**

**It reaches my vertebrae, but it doesn't stop; it keeps eating its way through the bone...**

I sit bolt upright, panting desperately and bathed in sweat. Paranoid, I check my neck, throatand abdomen; no wounds at all. I seriously need to see Pumyra about my reoccurring nightmares. Cheetara thinks that it could be PTSD or anxiety, which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

I get up then check the clock; it's 3:19a.m. I sigh before unlocking the door to the balcony, then I step out into the cool night air. I can hear the crickets chirruping in the courtyard below, and the sound of the wind rustling the leaves on the trees is so soothing...

"Dad?"

I jump slightly at the sound of Katzeran's voice from inside mine and Cheetara's bedroom. I turn around to look at my son, who is standing in the doorway, knuckling his eyes and clutching his polar bear. "And what are you doing up, eh, Katz? You're supposed to be in bed _asleep_." I say, to which the young Litah cub replies with "I...I had a bad dream..."

I sigh before picking the young cub up and walking back inside. "You and me both, Katz." I say as I close the door and lock it beforesitting down on the bed with my son perched on my lap. He sobs into my chest as I rub his back. "You don't need to worry, Katzeran. Bad dreams can't hurt you. They're just dreams."

"But...But it...it was really scary..." he gasps between sobs "And it...And it was so real."

"I suppose that you want to sleep in our bed for the rest of tonight, then?" I say, and my son looks at me, his eyes wide. He nods, so I say "C'mon then. You get in the middle, and be careful not to wake your Mum up."

He wriggles under the blanket and flops his head down on my pillow, and I lie down too. He cuddles into me, so I hold the cub close to me and hug him. I purr to get the same response from him, which works. He eventually falls asleep, and I do too.

I wake up to the sun shining in through the curtains, a face-full of my son's golden mane, and his soft snoring. Cheetara is awake, and she's reading her book. She sees that I'm awake and smiles at me. "When did Katz end up in our bed?" she asks as she lies her hand on our son's back, making the cub jump slightly, but he stays asleep.

"At about three twenty in the morning," I say as the Litah starts to stir, opening his eyes as he yawns. He stretches, his claws coming forth as he growls slightly, making me and Cheetara laugh. "Well, good morning, Katz." my wife says as the youngster wriggles into her arms, purring contently. He seems as lively and happy as per usual, despite the traumatic experience he's had over the past week, which is strange because he's so young.

We get ready then go to the dining room, and when we walk in, everyone looks at us. I slink to my seat and sit down, noticing that Panthro and Marcia aren't present. Snarf starts to place bowls of candyfruit porridge in front of us, sprinkled with brown sugar. I start to eat, then Panthro and Marcia walk in, and I make the ultimate mistake of making eye contact with the panther:

It takes the combined strength of Bengali, Tygra and Sebastian to stop the infuriated panther from charging at me, and even then, he still screams abuse at me.

"You absolute _idiot_, Lion-O! This is by far the most stupid, thoughtless and _reckless _thing that you have _ever _done! You're lucky to have got away with your life! Lion-O, what the _hell _were you thinking?"

I sit further back in my seat as Panthro yells at me. I've NEVER seen him this mad before. It's actually pretty terrifying, but I don't blame him for it because of what I did.

"Why on Third Earth did you think it was a _good _idea to take the Feliner and leave for Plun-darr _in the middle of the night_?"

Then Tygra starts.

"You could have been _killed_! Why the _fuck _didn't you _wait _for us?"

Katzeran starts giggling hysterically at the fact that Tygra just swore, but Cheetara quickly quells him with a sharp sideways glance.

"I...I...I...I di...I didn't...I didn't think..." I begin, but the tiger cuts me off by saying "We _know _you didn't think! You _never _think before acting, and that's why you're _always _in some sort of trouble or danger! There's a chance that, one day, you won't have _anyone_ to help you, and where will you be then, eh? You're so immature, you _never _learn from your mistakes, and we're all sick of it!"

I can feel my tears prickling in my eyes and threatening to spill over. I just feel so shocked.

"You could've killed yourself! Besides, you didn't answer me. Why didn't you wait?" Tygra shouts, his enraged expression striking pure fear into my heart.

"I...I...I...I...Cheetara had a vision and saw that Katzeran was in danger and I...I...I-I-I didn't mean for anything _bad _to happen! I...I just wanted to...wanted to save Katz before...before it was too late..." I stutter, violently trembling as tears freely stream down my cheeks.

"Ah! But what would you have done if you'd got Cheetara or Katzeran killed?"

I inhale shakily. "I...I'd abandon my title as the Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera...and...and I'd leave my position as a Thundercat. I'd _never _forgive myself..."

"That's funny. That's _very _funny, considering the fact that you seemed _perfectly _happy after killing Rataro and Grune."

Everyone gasps in horror at Tygra's comment, and yet the tiger's eyes gleam triumphantly. I can't even _begin _to believe that he just said that! I feel my cheeks burning beneath my fur, along with the rage building up within me.

"Tygra, leave him alone!" Cheetara says, her voice wavering because she sees that I'm glaring daggers and snarling at the tiger. To try and calm myself down, I pour myself a glass of water and slowly sip it...

"Well? Are you going to answer me?"

My grip involuntarily tightens on the glass. "Tygra. Please, _stop it_!" I growl, struggling to keep my anger and emotions at bay, but the tiger smiles victoriously. "Why? Can't you handle the fact that you _know _that I'm telling the truth?"

The glass explodes in my hand as I roar, great shards of glass cutting into my palm as blood gushes down my hand. Despite the agonizing wounds, I curl my injured hand into a fist and stand up before storming out of the room. I don't stop until I'm in the mouth of the Cat's Head.

"Lion-O?"

I sigh contently as I look over the city, the buildings of which are gleaming like wet leather in the morning sunlight. I know that Cheetara is behind me, but I don't turn around to face her; I keep concentrating on the city below me.

"Lion-O, why don't you come back downstairs and..."

"I'm not going back into the Dining Room. I know that Panthro wants to tear my freaking head off, and I don't blame him. I shouldn't have acted the way that I did. I should have waited for the other Thundercats. I nearly got us killed, and I'm never going to forgive myself for that. What sort of leader am I if I keep getting my friends and my family into danger? I don't deserve to be the Lord of the Thundercats, and I don't deserve to be the King of New Thundera and Third Earth! I never asked for it, and yes, I _have _been _extremely _cocky and over-assertive about the fact that it's who I am in the past, but I've practically been taking my title for granted." I say, feeling overly disappointed with myself "But Tygra stepped _completely _out of line back there! He had absolutely _no _right to talk to me like that!"

I growl furiously, but Cheetara sighs deeply and slips her hands around my waist before nuzzling into my chest, but then she spots my hand. "Oh my God! Lion-O, that's _really _bad. You need to see Pumyra right away!" I sigh, but I let her lead me down to the infirmary.

Pumyra reprimands me about losing my temper, but she still fishes the shards of glass out of my palms and sutures the wounds. We turn to walk out of the doo once my hand is all sorted and bandaged, but Pumyra says "Could you wait a minute, Lion-O? I just need to talk to you in my office."

So I wait in the puma's office, and she eventually joins me.

"Lion-O, what I needed to talk about was your behaviour recently. Everyone has been worrying about you because you've been behaving abnormally."

I sniff slightly. "Well, I _was _possessed by Satos before we escaped from Castle Plun-darr."

"I know, but this doesn't seem to apply to that. Lion-O, what I mean is that you're showing all of the signs of suffering from PTSD and anxiety. There is medication that I can give you that will help you with it, but when you need to take it is strict, and you'll need to keep up with the prescription."

The young puma keeps talking, but I can't concentrate on what she's saying. How can this be true? What did I do to deserve any of this? First I get loads of shit with the fights with Rataro and Grune and Katzeran being kidnapped, and now this? Why? What did I do wrong?

And when I try to sleep that night, I just can't. I have too much on my mind, and even though I'm exhausted, I can't settle and get comfortable. I roll over onto my side and watch Cheetara as she peacefully sleeps. I smile at how relaxed she is, but I can't help but feel despair at the fact that she is completely unaware about how I feel and how much I'm suffering. I want to tell her, but I can't bring myself to wake the cheetah. Not when she so sorely needs her rest. I close my eyes, and it's only when the sky starts to turn from black to grey, and the birds start singing that I eventually fall into a deep but broken, fitful sleep...

**_Next time on Thundercats:_**

**_Now that Katzeran is safe and sound, Lion-O and Cheetara can finally sit back and relax, but when a strange alien-seeming spacecraft carrying new Thunderian refugees crashes into the Ferrals' territory, Lion-O faces a fight against his brother Leo in order to be able to take the refugees back to the city. Will he succeed?_**

**_Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!_**


	24. Chapter 23: Be Somebody

_**A/N: The songs which are used for each chapter is chosen for the lyrics; they either match the event within the chapter, a character's thoughts, or it seems like something a character would say. For example, I used the song Be Somebody for this chapter because the lyrics fit Lion-O perfectly. Plus, in the part in Katzeran's perspective, all the grammatical and spelling errors are intentional because he IS just a 5-year-old kid after all.**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, and explicit language. !SUGGESTIVE ADULT THEMES!**_

_**Date started (Chapter): Tuesday 31**__**st**__** May 2016**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Wednesday 13th July 2016 **_

_**Song/s: Be Somebody by Thousand Foot Krutch, and Scream by Thousand Foot Krutch.**_

Chapter 23: Be Somebody

People say that you don't know what it feels like to have anxiety until you actually suffer from it. I wish to the Gods that I didn't know what it feels like, but I unfortunately do.

Every day is always the same. Nothing ever changes, and even if it does, it's a rarity. Every morning, I wake up with the same routine to follow. It's always a case of getting up at six in the morning and waking Katzeran for school, having breakfast then getting my son's uniform sorted and helping him get ready (he _still _can't dress himself, but he _is_ only five) then dropping him off at his school, Westside Primary. After that, I come back to the Lair and get on with the tasks for the day, which are _always _the same; sitting at my desk in my office working through endless paperwork and documents, or sitting in the control room, surveying and guarding New Thundera.

Everything is always exactly the same and I don't know if I can put up with it for much longer. I wake to the sound of birds, along with the alarm clock. I slam my hand down on it to turn off the alarm before stretching as I yawn. Mondays are always the worst, but something usually happens which has us on our feet. For example, Cheetara and I have been asked to go into Katzeran's school to talk to the kids about the importance of the Code of Thundera and what it means and takes to be a Thundercat. I suppose that it is different, but after that, it's back home and on with the duties. Plus, I have another meeting with the New Thunderian Council, which is why I have been desperately working on the paperwork and documents because they're for Lysander.

I haul myself up off the bed and pull my Thundercat uniform on as Cheetara gets up and gets ready. We walk out of the room together, and as I walk into Katzeran's room and switch the light on, I notice that he is snuffling into the stomach of his polar bear plush. "C'mon Katz," I say as I open the curtains, flooding the room with bright sunlight "Time to get up and get ready for school."

He groans then sits up, but he gets out of bed and trudges behind me and Cheetara as we walk down the stairs. Once we are in the Dining Room, we eat breakfast and talk about the day's plans as per usual. And like for the past few days, I can only eat a few mouthfuls, and I push the rest around my plate.

"Lion-O, c'mon, this isn't like you. You need to eat."

I just sit there, staring into thin air as Snarf talks to me. I look down at my still full plate of breakfast until it blurs. I don't have an appetite at the moment; I don't feel like eating.

"Lion-O!"

I look up as Snarf says my name. He's giving me a stern look. "Eat your breakfast. You can't do this to yourself; it needs to stop."

I force myself to eat, but I feel insanely sick. My throat is so dry that I can't swallow anything, meaning that I'm stuck chewing a large rasher of bacon until it's the consistency of a thick paste, a thick slime that covers my tongue and teeth...

I quickly get up then run from the dining room, feeling like I'm about to vomit. I only just make it to the bathroom, and even then I don't make it in time, and I'm violently sick all over the tiled floor. It's obvious that keeping my troubles to myself is making me ill. I slump sideways against the wall and sigh, holding my head in my hands. Why do I feel like I can't say anything? The fear of being rejected?

I'm sick again, my chest heaving as I gasp for air, beads of sweat running down my face.

"Lion-O? Are you alright?"

I look behind me and see Cheetara, Snarf, Pumyra, Tygra, and Panthro. My wife sits down next to me and gently places her left arm around my shaking shoulders. She tries to comfort me, and I start crying on the cheetah's shoulders. I look up, and I see that Panthro and Tygra are looking at each other with concerned expressions on each of their faces.

"I...I...uh...I'm alright..."

"You obviously aren't. I think you're ill. Why won't you tell us what's wrong?"

"Because I don't wanna talk about it..." I murmur.

Cheetara sighs with disappointment, so I get to my feet and walk out of the room and go back to the dining room, and I see that Katzeran is gone, and I know that he's gone to get dressed for school.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I sigh as I look through Lion-O's medical documents. I don't know what I'm looking for, but I have a hunch that I'm going to find something. I notice that over the past few weeks, his blood pressure has been getting higher and his weight has dropped slightly, which is really bad.

"Pumyra?"

I look up as Cheetara walks in. "Hi Cheetara. How can I help you?" I ask as the cheetah sits down in one of the chairs in front of my desk. She sighs before saying "Pumyra, I have a feeling that something isn't right. For the past few weeks, I've been waiting for Lion-O to say something to me about how he feels, but he hasn't and I know that I can't wait any longer. I need closure but I can't get anything out of him, and it seems to be making him sick. Pumyra, I'm so worried about him..."

I sigh sympathetically. "Cheetara, it's perfectly natural for you to be worried about Lion-O. I mean, he _is _your husband after all. And we've all noticed that something is wrong with him. He isn't himself. Have you noticed anything else?"

"He hasn't been sleeping properly. He wakes up, sometimes multiple times every night, and one or two times, he's woke up screaming. He tells me that he wakes up naturally and has the occasional nightmare, but I think...no...I _know _that he's lying."

I think for a moment before saying "I'll have to do a full medical test on him, but I'll also have to keep him in for the night so that I can monitor his sleep patterns."

"He'll most likely object to that. You know what he's like."

I chuckle slightly before saying "Ah, but you see, Cheetara. I have my ways."

"Right, so, I'd better go and get ready. I've got to be at the school in an hour and a half." Cheetara says, and she gets up before walking out of the door.

I sigh before looking back down at the lion's medical documents. I read the handwritten reports, and I realise that I'm reading the medical report on his birth:

"_Friday 13__th__ November – 02:17a.m._

_Emergency Caesarean Section at 01:46a.m. due to unfavourable position prior to delivery and blood loss suffered by the mother. Delivered 1 month premature at 02:05a.m. with the umbilical cord wrapped around the throat. Blue tint to skin due to oxygen starvation; resuscitation took 5 minutes. Vitamin K administered 15 minutes after birth. The mother did feed after birth but soon had to be put under for a second surgery due to severe internal bleeding."_

I keep reading, and I see loads of entries from Lion-O's childhood. There are countless reports of illnesses and a few broken bones, and even a report about him being kicked in the head by a horse when he was 10. I sigh again. "Oh Lion-O, you've _always _been one for getting into trouble."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I sigh as I read the papers that Lysander had given me. I have over 15 papers and 4 legal documents that he wants signing before the meeting with him and the rest of the members of the Higher New Thunderian Council. I've been reading and signing them since last Wednesday, and I'm _still _not finished.

The assembly at Katzeran's school went perfectly and we bought him home after because they have assembly last after the fifth period. Right now, Snarf is helping Katz with his homework, meaning that I'm able to get these papers finished...

"Lion-O, can we come in?"

"Yeah, come in." I say, and I look up as Tygra and Panthro walk in. They both look as if they're planning something. "How can I help you?"

"Lion-O, you need to come with us." Tygra says as he steps forwards "This is important."

"If you're going to drag me to the infirmary, forget it! I'm not moving!" I snap, so they look at each other; they grab me by my arms and pull me out of my seat, keeping a strong, firm hold on me as they drag me out of my office.

"WHAT THE _HELL _DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO ME? _LET GO OF ME_!" I scream, struggling against the pair with all of my strength "I said _GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME_! I _DEMAND _THAT YOU LET ME GO!" I make myself go limp, flopping to the floor, and making myself as heavy as possible, refusing to cooperate. "There's absolutely _NOTHING WRONG WITH ME_!"

"Lion-O, stop being such an immature brat and _get up_!" Tygra yells, but when I don't do anything, they give in and just drag me along the floor towards the infirmary. They pull me to my feet, and we walk into the room, but we go straight to Pumyra's office at the back. The door is opened, and we walk in. I can see the other Thundercats, and my eyes instantly meet my wife's.

I'm pushed down into a chair, shaking violently. I forgot to take today's meds; I'm trembling and sweating.

"Lion-O, you've got our attention, and now you have to tell us what's wrong."

I can't help but shrink back in my seat as the others look at me, willing the ground to swallow me up. I feel so much guilt for not telling them, but I still clear my throat and force myself to look around at them; they're all looking at me with the same expressions of concern, and Marcia just seems sorrowful. The snow leopardess only just returned from her home village in the Mountains of L'ankjyvååh a few weeks ago, and has been adjusting to life at Cats' Lair. She can now speak English and a little bit of Thunderian, but she mostly speaks in Italian.

I gulp nervously before saying "I know that you're all worried about me, and I know why and I appreciate that fact. But now I need to tell you about my problem. Every night for God knows how long now, I've been plagued by horrific nightmares. Many times, I have more than one each night, and they all follow the same line; punishment because of Lynx-O's death, and the murders of Rataro and Grune. I've had one where you all savagely tore me apart limb from limb, one where you forced me to have my memories wiped by the Sword of Omens, and my most recent one was where I was killed by a creature from my childhood nightmares because my soul was possessed by Satos. Combine that with the problems I have _getting _to sleep, and I'm lucky to get more than 3 to 4 hours a night."

"Oh, Lion-O, why didn't you tell us before? You _do _know that you can wake me up if you have a nightmare." Cheetara says as she walks up to me and hugs me.

"I didn't tell you because I thought that you'd all laugh at me and turn me away..." I mumble sadly "And I know that it just makes me sound like a stupid little child..."

"I'm going to have to perform a full medical check up on you to try to get down to what it is that is causing you to suffer from these nightmares." Pumyra says as she stands up "Which leads me onto my main point; you're going to be sleeping in the infirmary for tonight so that I can measure your sleeping pattern."

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, staring at the floor as the tears trickle down my cheeks. Why am I like this? Why do I have to be such a _coward_? This isn't who I was before Satos took over my body, and even now, I'm not 100% certain that he's gone because I often have uncontrollable bouts of anger and hatred, which have only happened after he took control of me.

The other Thundercats leave so that Pumyra can check me over, but Cheetara stays with me. I lay back on one of the beds as the puma checks my blood pressure, which proves to be higher than normal, so she runs a blood test. When I see the needle, my heart starts pounding and sweat trickles down my forehead. Everyone knows about what I'm like with needles; I'm such a wuss. I involuntarily growl at the pain as the sharp metal pierces the skin on the inside of my elbow, and my growl slowly grows louder as the muscles in my arm tense without me realising.

"Lion-O, you've got to relax, ok?" Cheetara says as she squeezes my hand "This will be over soon."

Pumyra runs a few more tests, and then I'm free to go. "It'll take me a little while to analyse the results from the blood test. At the least, I should be able to have them ready by tonight." Pumyra says as we get up to walk out of the door.

**...**

Sure enough, Pumyra does have the results ready by seven that night. After putting Katzeran to bed, me, Cheetara and Snarf head to the infirmary. My former nursemaid perches himself on my shoulders, purring nervously. It's no secret that he has been worrying about me, and it's also not a secret how devoted he is to Katzeran and me.

We sit down in the puma's office, and the silence is deafening, as well as unnerving. Pumyra sighs as she looks through the paperwork. "Honestly Lion-O, I can't find anything wrong in your blood, meaning that everything is down to the PTSD and anxiety. There is treatment, but it's mainly psychological training to prevent you from having these nightmares."

I sigh and look down. Cheetara gently takes hold of my hand and squeezes slightly, and as I look up at her, she smiles at me and says "Lion-O, we'll get through all of this together. I promise. I'm here for you, as you already know." I look into her bright golden-amber eyes and notice how her eyes are sparkling. I sigh again, but Cheetara passionately kisses me.

And then even later that night, I get ready for my night in the infirmary. When I am finally lying down, I'm hooked up to all sorts of monitors. "Is all of this even necessary? I feel like some sort of scientific experiment." I laugh, so Pumyra sighs before saying "I'm going to give you some medication that will help you fall asleep, and after that, me and Tygra will be monitoring you throughout the night."

I take the medication and settle myself down, and within a few minutes, it starts to take effect on me and I begin to feel drowsy. I close my eyes, and a few minutes later, I feel myself slipping into the depths of sleep...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I chuckle as I look into the cauldron. "Well Ma-mutt, my faithful un-dead hound, it seems like the Lord of the Thundercats is having a bad time," I say as I circle the cauldron, petting Ma-mutt "I must say though, things have been _awful _for him lately- perfect. That means that he is mentally at his weakest. The perfect strike has to be at the right moment, to...break his mind completely when he's already so low. The _perfect _way to torture him, just like how he deserves!"

I look back at the cauldron as I chuckle. I'm going to make that wretched Thundercat pay!

I raise my hand as I chant in Ancient Egyptian, and as I see the image changing, I grin at the nightmare that I have planned for Lion-O. "Let's see how you deal with this one, boy!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

**I open my eyes as I hear insults and crude comments being jeered at me. I'm in some sort of cage, and my ankles are bound in heavy, thick iron shackles. I can only just make sense of what is being yelled at me, and when I look down, I see why I'm being laughed at; I'm stark naked and my fingertips and the tips of my toes are bloody- my claws and fangs have been torn out. Humiliated, I throw my hands down in order to keep my dignity, but I know that it's far too late. The Plun-darrians who have gathered are all holding items that look like they'd be used in a torture chamber.**

**I back away, but something sharp and hot is jabbed into my back, giving me a horrid electric shock. I roar in pain and turn around, and see Mumm-ra standing behind me, holding an electrified shock pole-like contraption. He grins at me, and then presses a button; electricity crackles and dances around the end of the pole as it glows white-hot. "Payback time, cub!"**

**He lunges at me and grabs me by my left wrist before lifting me up off of the ground and hooking me onto the roof of the cage. He swings the pole at me, hitting my side. The ensuing electric shock is agonizing, and I scream as if it feels like my whole entire body is burning from the inside out.**

**He drags the pole across the floor; blue sparks leap between the pole and the bars of the cage. "This isn't just electricity; it's also black magic- with the ability to transform you into one of my...evil spirits..." he hisses, staring at me as the crowd screams at him to kill me.**

**Due to the fact that I am incapacitated, I can't fight back when he presses the pole against my chest. I can feel my heart beginning to beat faster as pain explodes throughout my body. It feels like needles are being forced into my body, and it feels like by bones are being brutally changed – I can feel them snapping and lengthening, along with my teeth and claws, which are lengthening and sharpening. Plus, I can feel the skin on my shoulder blades and all down my back stretching and tearing before a pair of massive jet-black wings erupt from my back, spraying blood and flesh all over the place. Black armour begins to materialise on my body, and then the chains snap from the sheer weight of my body.**

**Mumm-ra cackles, and a white chain materializes in his hand, along with a collar around my neck; Thundranium.**

"**You disgust me, Lion-O."**

**I scream in pain as he wraps the chain around my chest, using the slack ends to repeatedly hit me round my face. The collar is soaked in liquid Thundranium, and I feel so weak that I can't move – I can barely breathe.**

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"What the hell is happening to him?"

I look down at Lion-O in horror as he writhes on the bed as if he is caught in the midst of a violent seizure, even though he's asleep. His heart rate is fluctuating, and he's groaning, roaring and screaming. Cheetara comes running in, and I can see the obvious expression of horror on her face at the sight of what state her husband is in.

"Tygra, I would normally object to this, but we need to wake him up NOW!"

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

"**What's wrong, Lord of the Thundercats? Can't stand the heat?" **

**Mumm-ra cackles as he pins me down and presses the chain diagonally across my face, severely burning my skin as I scream. I can't do anything against him- I'm powerless to act. The ancient devil priest grins sadistically before tightly looping the chain around my neck and pulling tightly, cutting of my windpipe and the arteries in my neck, both strangling and severely burning me at the same time. All I want to do is die; I don't care anymore. I'm sick of it all- the torture, the beatings, the battles. So why can't I just **_**die **_**already?**

**I feel hopeless. Everything that I wanted and was promised for the future...slipping away through my fingers as those promises are taken back. Everything that they ever said was a lie. So why did I ever believe that things could...no...**_**would **_**last? Why did I ever believe that they were telling the truth? People change constantly, but I'm changing too much. So why did everything matter so much to me when at the snap of a finger, everything can and will change? Because it never did. Nothing. Ever. Does...**

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I watch as Lion-O writhes, my heart breaking at the fact that I know I can't help him in any way. Usually when he has a nightmare this bad, he's awake by now, but he isn't. I can see that he's sweating, and I have the awful feeling that something is terribly wrong.

Pumyra injects something into the crook of his elbow, and although it seems like hours pass, the lion sits up like a shot before looking at me shortly before collapsing back down onto the bed. He is panting heavily, sobbing, and shaking. In order to try and help him calm down, I gently place my hand on his back- his skin is hot and sweaty.

Suddenly, he rolls over and retches, spewing the contents of his stomach all over the pristine, clean floor before lying back again. "M...Mumm-ra...t...t...tortured me...turned me into...into one of h...his evil spirits..." the young lion murmurs weakly, still violently shaking. How badly has that affected him...?

**...**

**A Few Hours Later...**

"How is he?"

I walk into the infirmary and see Lion-O sitting back against the pillows on his bed, his eyes closed, meaning that he looks like he is asleep.

"'He' is perfectly fine now, and has a name, too." the young lion murmurs without opening his eyes.

I sigh slightly before turning to look at Pumyra and Tygra. The pair have been monitoring Lion-O since he had the violent nightmare, after fearing that the episode would claim our lord's life.

"Well, it's a relief that you're ok." I say as I sit down in a chair at the side of his bed. Lion-O sighs slightly, but he allows me to take hold of his hand, and I realize how fast and strong his pulse is. He opens his eyes, and I notice that they are bloodshot, and he _is _very pale. He looks exhausted...

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

**Later That Same Day...**

I look at my friends as we sit around the table in the Council Chamber.

"I swear, it didn't feel natural. I've had dreams in the past where he has been able to mess with my mind by selecting what I see, and using it to torment me. If anything, it seems that he's trying to lower my guard..."

As if on cue, the Sword of Omens roars in warning of danger. I take it from the Claw Shield and hold it in front of my eyes as I say "Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!" I command for the Sword's powers, and the crossbars curl upwards as the Eye of Thundera growls, and the familiar blue swirling fog fills my mind. Once it clears, I can see Mumm-ra flying towards the Lair, seconds before the proximity alarms are set off.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I look up in fear as the alarm is set off. It's really, really, really loud and I don't like it. I can hear Dad shouting from outside but a deep laugh from be..be...behind me and I turn around and see Mumm-ra. I gasp and step back. I turn to run. The door closes. I turn back as Mumm-ra walks to me and I try to growl to scare him off but it does not work and he still keeps walking to me and I feel so scared when some thing blue and crakely starts to cover his hand.

"Oh, I'm going to make you pay for being born, you little brat!" he says meanly as he walks to wards me. He fires the thing at me, and it hurts so badly. I scream and cry, tryeing to get free. "Dad! DAD! HELP ME! PLEASE!" I scream, tears going down my face as Mumm-ra laughs...and then a loud roar fills the air and I catch a smell that I know.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SON, YOU MONSTER!"

I hear Dad shouting, and then he jumps over me at Mumm-ra as some one lifts me up. "Oh my God, Katzeran, my baby, are you ok? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

I bury my face into Mum's chest and cry, and she rubs my back as she says "It's ok, Katz. It's ok now, you're safe..."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

I roar with rage as I swing the Sword of Omens at Mumm-ra. I swear to the Gods, I am going to make the bastard pay for hurting my cub! He dodges before unsheathing the Sword of Plun-darr.

"This is it, Lion-O! I will make you pay for _everything _you have ever done throughout the past load of years!"

I growl as Mumm-ra threatens me, but I launch at him again and swing at him my left hand, wrenching the Sword of Plun-darr from his hands before throwing it away.

"And this is what happens when you mess with the Lord of the Thundercats!" I snarl, before swinging at him multiple times with the Sword of Omens, knocking him back until he falls backwards. I put a foot on his chest and put the tip if the Sword against his throat.

"You've lost again, Mumm-ra!"

"Go ahead then! Finish me!"

I growl, and I place the Sword of Omens back into the Claw Shield. "I'm not going to finish you, Mumm-ra. I'm not that type of person. Killing is against the Code of Thundera."

Mumm-ra cackles viciously. "Well, Lord of the Thundercats, it seems like you've already lowered yourself to that level twice!"

He kicks me in the chest, sending me flying across the room. I hit the hard concrete wall with a loud thump, and agony explodes throughout my mouth, followed by the strong taste of blood as I accidentally bite down into my tongue.

I spit out a mouthful of bloody saliva to the side of me before forcing myself to my feet. Retrieving the Sword of Omens from where I dropped it, I charge at Mumm-ra again, letting out a savage roar as I swipe at him with the Sword. I obviously mistimed because he grabs hold of my arm and violently twists my shoulder joint before throwing me to the side. I hit the floor and roll before going into a crouch. Panting, I stand up, overwhelmed by a familiar feeling which I...no...not again...please not again...

I growl as I turn around and look at Mumm-ra. _"So, here we are again. Just me and you, comedian, right? With your fancy weapons and filthy magic? Bring it on!"_ the voice that comes out of my mouth is familiar, yet strikes fear into my heart at the same time – Satos.

I'm too weak to fight him; he seems to have gotten stronger since the last time he took over my body. 'I' run towards the ancient devil priest on all fours and launch at him with a lot more power and force than what I can usually manage, and I knock him backwards, sending him flying into the wall. I watch Mumm-ra as he slumps over, dazed but still awake. Yet, Satos doesn't stop there; he forces me to unbuckle my hunting knife from its sheath on my belt, holding it high above my head.

"_Wenke'tsu ka'anggo-tsu raaumpuungsch apaizch aku'wa m'weyt-sekh! Pamit, ch'matèni_!" 'I' scream in Ancient Thunderian as Satos makes me bring my arm down. Every part of me is shaking. I don't want to do this...

"_You've got no choice in this matter, boy!"_

I growl at the voice in the back of my head. "Wh...Why are...are you d...d...doing this to me again, S-Satos? I-I..."

"_If you're as smart and intelligent as you make out to be, then you'll know not to fight against me because I can kill you when I am in control of you like this!"_

Mumm-ra sees that I'm dithering, and the next thing I know, I'm being sent flying towards the window. The glass shatters and I hurtle towards the ground as I hear Cheetara screaming my name. I aim the Claw Shield at the head of the Lair and fire the grapple hook; I soar straight back up to the window and throw myself straight back at Mumm-ra, using the window ledge for a powerful launch.

I roar before seizing hold of him by the back, seeing as how he is threatening Cheetara and Katzeran. He screams as my long, sharp claws pierce his decaying flesh and tries to pull me off of him, resulting in small chunks of his flesh being torn off of his body. He eventually manages to get me off of him, holding me in front of him by my forearms, allowing me to kick out at him. I roar and fully bear my fangs before breaking free of his grip, lashing out at him with the Claw Shield; the razor-sharp iron claws sink deep into his face and split his flesh.

He howls in pain and backs off, but I don't leave my attack at that; I stalk towards him on all fours, viciously growling and snarling. I can clearly see the fear evident on the Ancient Egyptian mummy's face as he turns around and dives out of the window, leaving a trail of thick, dark crimson blood on the glossy paint. I run to the window and stand up as not to get any of the shattered glass in my palms.

"That's more like it! Run! Run away like you always do, you _coward_!" I shout, breathing heavily and trembling from the sheer amount of adrenaline pouring through my body.

"Lion-O, are you alright?"

I turn around and see Cheetara and Katzeran behind me. They both look extremely worried, and Katzeran looks like he is on the verge of tears. "C'mon you," I say to my young son, and he runs towards me, crying. I pick him up and walk towards Cheetara as Katzeran wails "I thought you were gonna die..."

I laugh shakily before saying "It's ok, Katz. I'm fine, I promise. I'm not going to die." Katzeran doesn't seem very reassured, but he hugs me as Cheetara wraps her arms around us. She smiles at me, and I kiss her softly. However, she also seems very concerned, but I can understand why; this is the first time in over 5 years in which Satos has taken control of me.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I may have had a sight heart attack, but I'm fine." I say as she takes Katzeran. The cheetah looks at our son and says "Right, Katz. It's bath time!"

"But I don't _want _a bath! I want to play in the garden with Dad!"

"You can play outside _after _you've had your bath."

I chuckle as the pair walk out of the door before turning around as I hear a familiar voice say my name.

"Lion-O, you do understand how dangerous Satos could be to you, don't you?"

I sigh slightly. "I know that he's dangerous to me, Jaga - he almost killed me the last time he took control of me. Plus, I am terrified for what could happen if he does end up killing me. What would happen to the other Thundercats? How would they cope without me? Who would take my place until Katzeran is old enough to take the throne?"

The ghostly jaguar places a hand on my shoulder as he says "You don't have to worry about any of that for years yet, Lion-O. You have a long and happy life ahead of you. You shouldn't be thinking about that sort of stuff yet."

I sigh again and look away from him. Does he understand how I feel? "Listen, Lion-O, it's obvious that you're feeling down, but by keeping your thoughts and feelings to yourself, you'll end up doing yourself more harm than good."

"I...I know that Jaga, but I'm not necessarily the _best _at getting my thoughts and feelings out vocally. I just...you know...keep them bottled up, even though I know that it's bad for my health."

"You really need to change that."

"I know, Jaga. I know."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

**That night...**

I sigh peacefully as I walk up the stairs. The coolness of the floor is soothing on my hot, bare feet. Lion-O put Katzeran to bed for me earlier to allow me to get a bit of rest before going to bed, and so I have been sat in the library, wrapped in my light blue dressing gown, reading my book for the last hour.

I walk along the corridor towards mine and Lion-O's bedroom. My feet don't make any noise on the carpeted floor, meaning that I can sneak past Katzeran's bedroom without making too much noise.

I stop outside of our room, the door of which is closed. "Lion-O? Are you in there?" I ask as I knock on the door, and I hear the strong but smooth voice of my husband say "Why don't you come in and find out, my love?"

I open the door and walk in to find the young lion lying in the middle of our bed on his side. He's wearing nothing but a pair of extremely tight skinny jeans, and he has a single red rose in his mouth. Yet again, there are rose petals scattered on the silken sheets, and there are candles dotted around the room.

"You never fail to impress me, Lord of the Thundercats." I chuckle, and as I sit down on the bed and turn to look at him, he winks at me. I see what he's getting at.

I slip my dressing gown off and lie under the sheets, and Lion-O undresses then joins me, then when I rest my head on his muscular chest, I can hear his powerful, steady, unhurried heartbeat and his deep, throaty purring. I gently and slowly breathe in the sweet scent of his fur, which is noticeably a lot stronger and more pungent than usual, meaning that he is in heat. He wraps his powerful arms around me and holds me close to him. "I love you so much Cheetara, my beautiful Queen." he whispers lovingly, and I can't help but run my hands over his back and through his wild, tousled mane. "I love you so much too Lion-O, my handsome King."

He places a hand under my chin and makes me look him in the eyes – his beautiful, bright gingery-orange eyes. He places his lips against mine and passionately French-kisses me. I force him onto his back then straddle his chest, sucking at the skin on his neck, eliciting a soft, purring moan from him. I know that I've got him wound round my little finger. He reaches out and switches the lamp off, and then we passionately embrace...

**...**

**I look up at Slithe as I growl. The wretched reptile grins at me before unsheathing a laser rifle, which he turns on my husband. Lion-O growls loudly as the Mutant aims the weapon at him. He tries to break the bonds which are keeping him down, but he can't. **

"**Go on then! Shoot me! You've got a clear shot of me, so why don't you take it?" Lion-O snarls as he stares at the reptile, whose hands are violently shaking. The young lion roars, and Slithe cries out in fear as the sound reverberates around the room. He manages to break the bonds, and Slithe panics and pulls the trigger; warm blood sprays all over me as the bullets rip through my husband's neck and chest...**

I open my eyes as I wake up, panting heavily. Just a nightmare. I sigh shakily with relief, but I still put my arm out – just to check; I can feel Lion-O's shoulder and mane. Now I _definitely _know that it was just a dream. However, tears trickle down my cheeks and I wriggle into his arms and nuzzle my cheek against the calming warmth of his muscular chest as I slowly breathe in his scent. I love him so much and I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to him.

I feel his arms tighten around me in a warm embrace as he murmurs "What's wrong, Cheetara? Did you have a nightmare?"

I sigh again before replying with "Yeah. Sorry if I woke you up..."

Lion-O chuckles slightly before starting to purr lovingly as I press my cheek against his chest, allowing me to hear his strong, steady heartbeat.

"I don't care if I get woken up a million times a night so long as I always get to have you as the first thing I see when I open my eyes." he whispers into my ear, sending shivers of bliss down my spine at the rich and powerful tone of his voice. We cuddle up to each other and he falls back to sleep within a few minutes, but I lie awake. I can't sleep; something doesn't feel right.

I sigh with frustration and roll onto my back. I can't get comfortable, and I can sense something amiss. Lion-O is out cold next to me, purring and murmuring something in his sleep. I've always known that he's such a fidget when he sleeps, but the bed is a large queen-sized bed, and my husband's arms and legs seem to be _everywhere_. Groaning, I haul myself out of bed, just as Lion-O wraps his arms around my pillow, lovingly mumbling my name in his sleep, seconds before he starts rubbing his cheek on the material as he purrs loudly but affectionately.

I chuckle slightly before opening the door to the balcony and stepping out into the darkness of the night. The cool air is like ice on my hot skin, and I sigh contently as I listen to the crickets chirruping in the courtyard below, along with the hoots of the owls...

And then the alarm starts blaring, bringing me to my senses. Lion-O wakes up like a shot and gets up before taking the Sword of Omens from the stand by the side of his bed.

"Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!" he commands as Katzeran comes running into our room, crying and clutching his plush polar bear.

"I don't believe it! There's a spacecraft inbound, headed straight for the forest near the Ferrals' village!" Lion-O says, and then I hear a deafening explosion, as if the air itself had just cracked. We look at each other before running to the balcony. As I look up, the sky itself seems to be ablaze as a large object soars through the sky and plummets to the ground in the forest just beyond the city. It was obviously the spacecraft due to the fact that it was travelling too slowly to be a meteorite, and it was far too large. I'm frozen to my spot with horror. If there were people onboard, would they still be alive now?"

**_Next time on Thundercats:_**

**_Now that Lion-O has managed to come clean with the other Thundercats, life begins to get easier for the young Lord of the Thundercats, but when faced with a treacherous journey into the Ferrals' forest, will everything go smoothly? _**

**_Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!_**


	25. Chapter 24: Numb

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, and explicit language. **_

_**Date started (Chapter): Thursday 14**__**th**__** July 2016**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Wednesday 28**__**th**__** September 2016**_

_**Song/s: Numb by Linkin Park**_

Chapter 24: Numb

The twigs under my feet crackle as I walk on, the noise sounding like explosions in the unnaturally silent forest. I don't like the idea of having to bargain with my older brother to be able to investigate the crash site, but if I have to do it, then I'll do it. But the last time any of the Thundercats last stepped foot in the Ferrals' Village was nearly 6 years ago when Pumyra and Cheetara had to get some of the medicinal herbs for the medicine which prevented Katzeran from dying that winter. And even then, they had to physically beg Leo for the herbs because they were rare on New Thundera, but as it just so turned out, he also needed some of the medicine too because his two young sons were also ill...

Something behind us suddenly bolts off into the undergrowth. Me and Cheetara whirl around, but we can't see anything but darkness. My wife seizes my arm as she says "I've got a really bad feeling about this, Lion-O. It feels like we're being watched..."

The creature moves about in the shadows, making my fur stand on end. I feel the growl forming deep in my throat as me and Cheetara walk circle each other, our backs together. "Lion-O," Cheetara whispers as she stops "What's that?"

I turn around and shine my torch in the direction of where the cheetah is pointing, and I see a pair of chillingly bright blue eyes and a set of sharp fangs. I pull Cheetara behind me before taking the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield. The creature steps into the light, and I see that it is a pure white and light blue winged wolf. It looks me right in the eyes, and it feels like it is staring into my soul.

"Lion-O..."

I feel my grip on the Sword loosening slightly; I'm losing the will for conflict, and it feels like my grip on reality is slipping away from me through the cracks of time. The wolf continues to stare at me with its piercing bright blue eyes. How is it even possible for a creature to have such beautiful eyes? I...I...I'm losing myself in it. Is this even my reality...?

"Lion-O! Snap out of it!"

I jump as I hear more movement from within the undergrowth, making the wolf run off into the forest. I half turn around, then a voice snaps "Drop sword!" in rough, broken English.

I turn around fully and see six or so heavily armed Ferrals surrounding us, and the one who just told me to drop the Sword of Omens is pulling an arrow from the sheath on his back. "Look, I..." I begin, but the Ferral, a young sabre-toothed tiger in his mid to late teens, says "Sword! Drop sword! NOW!"

I sheathe the Sword in the Claw Shield then say "We need to speak with Leo, my brother."

The sabre-toothed tiger doesn't move, but growls "Leave!"

I growl then say "Look kid, we didn't..." as I step forwards, and the young Thunderian un-slings his bow, loads it then aims it at my throat as he snarls "Go! Leave! Outsider no allow in village! Leo's order!"

I take a step back, and my fur stands on end in response to his action. I feel my ears flattening against my head slightly as I growl and snarl, showing my fangs. "If you shoot me, you're dead!" I growl, but the boy snaps "No, you dead. Arrow poison. Kill in minute without cure!"

"What's going on here?"

I look up and watch as Leo and Bräiden approach us on horseback. My brother has his sword and bow sheathed on his back. He spots me and Cheetara then sighs. "I know why you're here, but why did you come here without the other Thundercats? You _know _how dangerous this forest is, especially at this time of night; it's filled with malicious spirits and deadly wild animals. If you don't know what you're doing when you're out here, then you'll most likely end up six feet under."

He turns around and says something in the Ferrals' language, and all of the Thunderians who seemed like they were going to attack us put their weapons away. "You'd better follow me; it's not safe here. We'll go back to the village, and then we can discuss whatever the reason is that brings you here." Leo says as he starts to lead us through the forest, and as we follow him on foot, I swear that I see a black cat in the undergrowth, with bright red eyes; Märä. It follows us down the path, seemingly moving like mist in the darkness of the shadows...

"Keep moving, Thundercat!"

I look up behind me and see Bräiden scowling at me. My eldest nephew looks pissed off with something, and only now do I see that he has one gingery-orange eye and one bright emerald-green eye. Complete heterochromia iridium? It's extremely rare in lions, but I remember parts of learning about it in Biology in school.

The young lion doesn't stop staring at me as we continue the walk, and before too long, we're at the village. We don't stop until we reach the most intricately decorated hut. There are multiple paintings on the walls of wolves and the Eye of Thundera, and there are various skins drying on poles.

Leo dismounts his horse then starts to walk into the hut as he says "Come on in."

I look at Cheetara before walking into Leo's hut – the rich scent of incense hits me instantly, and as we walk past the fire in the middle of the room, I see all sorts of unnatural items such as crystals, talismans, decks of cards and various daggers. And, on a stand in the corner of the room, is the skull of a dragon, along with intricately engraved metal and bone armour. A dream catcher hangs from the middle of the ceiling.

Leo sees me staring at the armour and takes the skull off the stand. "I slaughtered that dragon when I was 18. It's a tradition for the boys in the Ferrals to battle with and slaughter a mythical beast – it signifies the transition from childhood to manhood." He pulls the skull on then looks at me. I don't know whether it's just me or not, but it seems to have the effect of making me feel on edge.

He takes it off again then sits down on the ground on a mat. Me and Cheetara sit down too, and Bräiden joins us, sitting on a carved wooden stool and writing in a book. I can hear him muttering in an unknown language, probably an ancient form of the Ferrals' language, and I swear that I see a small blue flame leap between the young lion's hands. "Here, it's pretty cold outside, so you're best off having a drink." Leo says as he takes two bowls of the contents of a pot which sits on the side, but what I find odd is the fact that the second he touches the bowls, a thick steam rises off them.

He hands them to us and says "Hot chocolate; my own recipe. Now, I know that what I just did may shock you, but the Ferrals aren't normal Thunderians. We have immense magical powers."

I sigh slightly, but I take a sip from the drink; it's refreshing and sweet.

"So, what is it that you want to discuss? Why are you here?" Leo asks as he sips from his own bowl.

"We're here for the spacecraft that crashed into the forest earlier tonight. We know that these forests are your territory because you're the chieftain of the Ferrals, and so we came to ask your permission for us to..." I begin, but Leo cuts me off by growling and saying "And did you _seriously _think that I'd let you and your friends snoop around on _my _land?"

"Well, I _am _your brother!"

"My _younger _brother, so forget it! If you _really _want to be able to search the crash site and perform a full investigation, then we settle the rights the traditional Ferrals' way – unarmed hand-to-hand combat, just you and me."

I growl slightly. "Leo, we don't have the time for us to do such a..."

"Well that settles it then. We don't fight, and you have to leave without investigating the wreckage."

I roar furiously. "You bastard! There could be Thunderian refugees in that wreckage who are injured and in need of medical assistance! And in this cold without a source of warmth, they could get hypothermia and die! Are you _seriously _willing for yourself to be held responsible for that? You could be charged with manslaughter and arrested by the ThunderGuard then thrown into prison!"

Leo snarls, but storms out of the hut. Bräiden looks at me and, in a steely tone, he says "You should leave. Before you piss anyone else off." We get up and walk out of the hut, only to see Leo standing on the edge of the path, leaning on the handrail as he looks over the village.

"Ever since I lost Rewth eight years ago, I've been horrid to everyone. She was stolen from me by one of those damned Mutants – Slithe. He stabbed her in the chest with a poisoned dagger, just under her sternum. Jøhba was just a week old, and Bräiden was four. She died in my arms, and after she'd passed, I felt like I'd lost a massive part of myself. The love of my life was gone, and I was left with a newborn who would never know his mother, and a youngster who didn't understand anything about death and..."

"Hold on a second. If Bräiden was four when Rewth died, then how can he be sixteen? He should just be twelve."

"He came across the Cave of Time on Third Earth. He came out at eight years old after being scared off by the bones, which is lucky because if he'd have stayed in there too long, he'd have died. Besides, as I was saying, I've only just been able to cope and, as much as I hate to say it, I'm jealous of you. You got to stay with the Thundercats and become the Lord of the Thundercats. When we were younger, I never understood why Father chose you instead of me, but now I know that it was because I was selfish and disrespectful, but you were determined and wise. I was never going to be cut out for the job, but Father broke the tradition of handing the title to the eldest child. Many people questioned his decision, but he'd always have a way of explaining his motives. And as for investigating the wreckage, just go ahead – those poor souls need some aid."

He turns away and walks back into the hut, and I draw the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield.

"Thunder...Thunder...Thunder...Thundercats, HO!" I roar as I raise the Sword into the air. The signal bolts from the Sword and shines bright in the sky. The other Thundercats were waiting at the entrance of the forest for the symbol, and so I turn to Cheetara, who is anxiously awaiting the arrival of our friends.

About 10 minutes later, the Thundertank appears at the entrance to the village and slowly makes its way towards us. "Right, so," I hear Leo say as he walks back out of his hut along with Bräiden and Jøhba, both of whom are now wearing different clothing "We'd better be getting to the crash site."

We all get into the back of the 'Tank and sit in the control centre, and I see Katzeran sitting on one of the seats, wrapped in a thick blanket and clutching his polar bear. He refused to stay at the Lair, even though he's nodding off where he sits. Cheetara sits down next to him, and he nuzzles into her and is asleep within minutes, considering the fact that it's not even three in the morning – it's lucky that they've got an teacher training day off at school.

"So, these are the coordinates of the crash site which we transferred directly from the computers in the Control Room." Panthro says as he punches some numbers into the monitor; a densely wooded area shows up near a clearing with some strange formation...

"That's not too far from the Delta Ruins!" I hear Leo say, and I look at him to see that he's got Jøhba cuddling up to him, who is asleep like Katz.

"The Delta Ruins? What's that?" I ask, and so my older brother says "You'll find out one day."

I sigh slightly before replying with "Ok then...so, continue with what you were saying, Panthro."

Leo scowls at me for a second before muttering something in the Ferrals' language.

Panthro zooms in on the area as he says "This area of land is on fire, and we were able to see it from the Lair. We'll most likely have to put the flames out first, but it'll be a manual task due to the fact that I'm currently in the progress of repairing the Thunderstrike and the Feliner is currently away on Third Earth on a mission, so we'll have to use the water cannons which I installed on the 'Tank."

"Even then that could take a while." Leo says as he closely examines the map, "That area of land is expansive – it covers well over 5,000 square metres. It could take _ages_ to extinguish the flames."

"Then we'll have to get on with it as soon as possible. We can't wait." I say as I stand up, then we head off to the site of the crash, speeding through the forest...

"Lion-O. Lion-O, wake up. We're at the crash site."

I wake with a start as Cheetara gently shakes my shoulder, not even realising that I'd nodded off. Disorientated, I yawn deeply then look up at her as she stands over me. "Look, I know that you're tired – we all are, and I can tell you now, we'll all be sleeping well past first light when we get back."

I sigh then get up, looking at Katzeran and Jøhba who are curled up asleep together on the seat, the pure-blooded lion cub holding the Litah cub close to him. Surprisingly, Katz is still clutching his polar bear. It's no secret how close they are.

Leaving the warmth of the Thundertank, I step out into the coldness of the night. My fur instantly stands on end, and I shiver. The flames from the crash site burn brightly, illuminating the area and everything within it with an eerie orange light. "Right, everyone get to work!" I shout over the roars of the flames "The sooner we put the fire out, the sooner we can search for survivors and rescue these Thunderians!"

Everyone pitches in to help, and after 30 minutes, the flames are extinguished, then we begin the search through the debris. Sebastian is practically the main helper due to the fact that he's got a better sense of smell than us Thunderians. "They were definitely Thunderians – the design of the ship is the same as the other escape pods." I hear Tygra shout, seconds before I hear a faint cry for help.

I hurry towards an area covered in debris and start to remove the largest pieces as the person calls for help, and eventually, I begin to see tufts of thick orange, black and white fur – a member of the tiger clan. Then, to my own shock and horror, I uncover a wounded young tigress cub.

"Pumyra! Tygra! Over here!" I shout, and as then run towards us, I check the cub over like how Tygra told me to – a visual examination to determine any surface wounds. The only wounds I can find are a few cuts and bruises, but I can't check for anything else because I'm not a trained medic.

She starts crying as Pumyra and Tygra start to check her over, but nothing is broken. The puma tells me to take her into the warmth of the Thundertank, so I do as I'm told.

"You're the Thundercats, aren't you?"

I look down at the tigress as I carry her back to the 'Tank. Smiling slightly, I say "Yes, we are the Thundercats."

"Are you Lord Lion-O?" she asks, her eyes wide.

I nod, confused about the fact that she knows that I'm not the cub that I should be – I should only be 15 years old. "Cool! Caspian and Lynxanna told me so much about you! Are you _really _the prophesised ruler of the whole universe?"

I stop on my spot. "What are you on about?"

"Lynxanna claims to be able to see into the future, and she foretold that the lion would bring about anarchy and chaos across the boundless stretch of space and rule it all with an iron fist and a heart of stone. I...I...I just assumed that she meant you because you're a lion and you're the Lord of the Thundercats..."

I look down at the cub in shock at what she'd just came out with. She can't be much older than Katzeran, if not the same age. "Look, what's your name?"

"Tigraie."

The realisation hits me. These Thunderians that we're rescuing are the Thunderians who went missing after the destruction of Old Thundera. "Lion-O? Lion-O, Lynxanna kept saying that she was desperate to see her Father again. Her Father is Lynx-O. Do you know him?"

At the tigress' words, tears come unbidden to my eyes at the memory that took me forever to get rid of. I go weak at the knees, but I manage to get to the Thundertank and put Tigraie down before I collapse in the control room, whacking my head hard on the corner of the table...

"Dad? DAD? Dad, are you ok?"

I awake to find Katz anxiously kneeling over me, holding a square of tissue against my head. His hands are slick with blood and are violently trembling, and I know that I'm bleeding. "Katzeran...Wha..." I begin, but he cuts me off by saying "You got into the Tank with Tigraie and you put her down and you fell over and hit your head on the corner of the table and you were bleeding and you weren't talking to me and I was so scared and I thought that you were dead and Jøhba went to find Mum and Pumyra."

The Litah starts crying, seconds before Cheetara, Pumyra and Leo come running in. They all look worried, and when they see me and my stricken cub, Cheetara picks Katz up and sits him on her lap as Pumyra checks me over. She shines a light into my eyes and runs a few more physical tests before saying "He's concussed. He obviously hit his head pretty hard because the wound is pretty deep. I'm going to have to suture it up."

She gets to work as I say "The...The Thunderian refugees onboard this escape pod are...are the missing Thunderians – Caspian, Lynxanna, Tigraie, D'mitry, and Casey. How...How are we going to tell them about Lynx-O?"

"We'll handle that because for now, you need your rest. You aren't eating and sleeping enough, your blood pressure is higher than usual, your iron levels are too low, and all of this combined with the stress, anxiety, PTSD and chronic nightmares are making you very sick. You need therapy and medication..."

"I'm not taking any drugs! I'll do the therapy, but I'm already on medication for my anxiety and PTSD. I don't want to feel like a druggie." I say, but Cheetara says "Lion-O, if those 'drugs' will help you and make you better, you need to take them. When can you have the medication ready for, Pumyra?"

"By midday."

I sigh in defeat, and with Cheetara and Pumyra's help, I shakily get to my feet and manage to walk to one of the seats where I slump down, feeling like I've just been hit round my head with a sledgehammer. Katzeran sits next to me and tries to squirm into my arms, his hands still covered with dried blood. He's shivering, and so once his hands have been washed, he cuddles into me, clutching his polar bear to his chest. I can feel the cub trembling from the cold, so I pull his blanket around us and gently run my hand up and down his back, like how I would when he was little, and he starts throatily purring. Before too long, he's fast asleep and I nearly am too. I eventually nod off, seeing as how Pumyra told me to get some rest.

**...**

"Lion-O, can you hear me?"

"He won't be able to hear you, Pumyra – he's dead to the world. Unless..."

The sudden sharp pain of someone's claws digging into my earlobe brings me to my senses, accompanied by an angry growl from deep in my throat. My hand clamps down around Leo's wrist as my claws cut into his skin. He yelps in surprise and lets me go before saying "Jeez, Lion-O! What the heck was that for? That _hurt_!"

I snarl slightly. "That's what you get for pinching me like that! Be thankful that I didn't freaking _bite _you! Besides, where the hell are we?" I force myself to sit up and see that I'm in a private room in the infirmary. Cheetara, Leo and Pumyra are in here with me, the puma recording stuff in her planner.

"We sorted out the Thunderians and the fire has long since been extinguished. There were no serious injuries in the Thunderians, which was miraculous given the circumstances, and Tigraie is going to be living with a tiger couple who can't have their own cubs and so they're more than overjoyed to have her. Tygra is busy finding the others some suitable accommodation. So, all of that aside, we can begin to focus on your therapy from now on."

"I...I...I...Uh...I d...I don't really want to go through with..."

"Well, unfortunately for you, Lion-O, you've got no choice in the matter. You've suffered enough, and everyone can clearly see that your actions are making you ill. You aren't the person that you used to be, and everyone can see that. You're introverted and you don't speak about your troubles to us – we had to force you to speak about your nightmares, and even then you wouldn't voluntarily say everything."

I sigh. They don't understand. I have conflicting emotions and mood swings, and I've had anger issues ever since I was a cub. For a while now, I've been in a fight against my personal demons, thinking of the unthinkable, and I haven't had the courage to speak about it. I can't speak about it without making them worry about me even more.

**...**

"_**Lion-O, can we talk for a minute?"**_

_**I look up as Cheetara walks into my office. "Sure. Have a seat." I say as I get up, walk round my desk and sit in front of the Cheetah. She sits down in one of the comfy armchairs, and I notice the look on her face. "So, what is it that you want to talk about?"**_

"_**Well, I've been thinking for a few weeks now. I've been feeling broody, and I...I'd like to have another cub. I mean, Katzeran needs some company and it would be nice to have another child. I know what it's like to be an only child. A few years before I was born, my parents had another daughter, but she was a stillborn. When they had me, I brought such joy into their lives which was stolen from them by that fateful day, but being an only child is horrendous – I was so lonely because my mother passed away from ovarian cancer a few days before my fifteenth birthday."**_

"_**I've had the High Thunderian Council pestering me about when we'd be having a second cub, as well as hinting about the fact that the King and Queen of Thundera traditionally have more than four cubs. And I feel the same way."**_

_**Cheetara stands up and suggestively saunters up to me and slips her arms around my shoulders, tangling her fingers into my mane. "So, are you feeling up to it, my Lord?" she says in a seductive, husky voice, her heated body pressed against mine lighting sparks and encouraging desires deep within my body and soul. We passionately kiss, but I stop the both of us, and she eagerly leads us to our room, locking the door behind us before we embrace...**_

"Lion-O, are you alright?"

I look up from the book on Ancient Thunderian History that I'm reading. Cheetara walks up to me, wearing her thick fluffy dressing gown. For a clear October evening, it's really cold – it's snowing outside, a blizzard that whipped up extremely heavy snowfall and overly strong winds. My wife sits down next to me and hands me a large mug of hot chocolate, which is topped with lashings of cream, marshmallows and grated chocolate.

"Yes, I'm alright. I've been thinking – we've been trying for a cub for nearly two years now. Nothing seems to be working, and you've...you've miscarried twice. Why don't we try..."

"I'm not trying IVF! I don't want to do that. We'll...We'll keep trying naturally."

I sigh. When Katzeran was nearly four, Cheetara fell ill with influenza. It affected her terribly, and for a long time, we feared that the illness had made her infertile. She was really sick, and even Katz got it. I'll never be able to forget the fear of walking home from taking Katzeran to school to have Cheetara collapse when we were halfway back to the Lair.

"You look upset..."

The cheetah doesn't get the chance to finish her sentence before my pent-up emotions get the better of me and I start to cry. She hugs me as she says "Lion-O, whatever it is on your mind, you have to tell me so that we can help you."

"I don't know what I'm doing with my life. I'm a wreck – my emotions are all over the place and I've had hell for ages. I'm sick to death of it all..." I wail childishly, my chest heaving as I gasp for breath between sobs.

She holds me close to her and says "You're _far _from a wreck, Lion-O. You are the most amazing man that I have ever known. You are the best husband that I could ever ask for, and I would never ask for anyone else because I love you so much and you mean so much to me." Then, she puts her hands on either side of my head and makes me look at her before saying "Promise me that you'll _never _do _anything _that you wrote in that book. _Promise_._ Me_."

I sigh, but I eventually say "I promise."

I look into her eyes, and I can clearly see the gleams of hurt and concern. "We'd better go to bed – it's getting really late." she says as she looks up at the clock, and so we get up and begin to make our way to our room. "You've got your first round of therapy tomorrow, haven't you?"

"Yeah. Hopefully it works – I'm sick of being the way that I am and have been for, what, five years now? Six years?"

She sighs, and as we go into our room then get ready for bed, she says "Lion-O, I can understand how you feel perfectly. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you, and I can understand the wallowing in self-pity, but you've been suffering for years, so hopefully this therapy helps you."

**...**

**The Next Day**

"So how do you feel now?"

I scowl slightly as the Liger looks down at his notes, preparing to jot down anything that I tell him. However, I breathe in deeply to compose myself before saying "In all honesty, I _do _feel better than I did back then. I mean, it is coming up on the sixth anniversary of Lynx-O's death, but that affects all of us."

"I can understand that perfectly, my King. However, Queen Cheetara and Lady Pumyra _did _mention about your mood swings and anger issues. I am led to believe that you are on medication to aid you with that, and your Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Prozac, or so I've seen in your medical documents."

"That is correct. And even though Prozac is an anti-depressant, it doesn't seem to have that much of an effect."

"You _have _only been taking it for two days – sometimes it can take up to a week for it to take effect, especially in cases as bad as yours. Anyway, I had better be off, unless you have anything else that you wish to discuss?"

I sigh before saying "I haven't really got anything else to say at the moment."

"So, I shall be back the same time tomorrow."

I nod before getting up and showing the Liger to the door. Once he has exited my office, I walk back behind my desk and sink back into my seat with a deep, guttural growling yawn. Yesterday just drained all of my energy – all I want to do is sleep. And I finally seem to be able to sleep better than I usually can, which is an ultimate bonus.

I sit down and begin to look through the files that Lysander gave me at the last council meeting. I don't really feel up to it, but I know that they are very important. However, I get up and walk out of my office. It's a beautiful day outside, and so I make my way out of the Lair and towards the lawn behind it. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and it smells lovely. I can see the other Thundercats engaged in a competitive game of rounders, with Katzeran beating even Pumyra to the ball. When the cub sees me, he comes bounding up to me yelling "Dad! Dad! Dad!" at the top of his voice.

I pick my son up and whirl him around, making him squeal in both joy and fear at the same time. "So, my little man, how was school today?" I ask the young Litah as I sit him on my shoulders. He giggles and says "Good. We're going on a trip to the seaside next week. Tigraie is in my class too. We sit next to each other because she knows me."

"That's good then. Now, have you had any homework today?"

"Yeah, but Snarf helped me with it."

"Good. So, who wants to go out for dinner tonight?" I ask, making Katzeran yell "I do! I do! I do! I want to go out!"

I laugh before saying "That's good then, because I've got a table booked down at that posh restaurant near the River Alliy'aria."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

**Later That Night**

I smile happily as I watch Lion-O playing with Katzeran on the grass and play equipment in the garden of the restaurant. My husband and our son playfully charge across the grass next to the river, participating in a rough game of tag and acting like they are both Katz's age.

"It's so nice to see Lion-O back to his usual confident self. He's got a lot better now. He comes to me with any problems that he has more readily. Those therapy sessions mixed with the medication that you gave him have been working a treat, and he's been so happy recently, especially when we rescued Katzeran after he was kidnapped – that made him hit a serious low. Speaking of which, whatever happened to Saborr? Did they catch him?"

"He was arrested by the Plun-darrians and is to be sent to New Thundera to be sentenced, but the Police Force that Mandora worked for want to have him sentenced to life imprisonment on the Penal Planet, along with his friends Clyde and Wayne without parole. I know it sounds harsh, but they deserve it."

I'm just about to reply to Pumyra, but I hear Lion-O shouting at Katzeran, seconds before I hear the cub scream then begin to cry. I get out of my seat and bolt down the steps onto the grass, to see Katzeran whimpering and snuffling as Lion-O inspects a vicious-looking sting on the cub's arm. "I _told _you not to hit it, didn't I? It stung you because you hit it and made it angry. Maybe next time, you'll _listen_ to me?"

"What happened?" I ask as I approach them.

"A wasp landed on his arm and stung him because he smacked it."

I pick the sobbing Litah up and cuddle him, but he wriggles and demands that I put him down, so I do, and he hares off back to our table. I look at Lion-O, who flops down onto one of the swings and listlessly pushes himself back and forwards, staring off into the sunset. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The way that the sun lights the skies and makes them look like they're on fire. As much as I hate to think about it, it reminds me of the skies on Old Thundera a few days before we left." he says without taking his eyes off of the sky.

"It's eerily beautiful, if creepy." I reply, looking him right in the eyes as he gets up. I find myself drawn towards him, and just as our lips touch in a passionate kiss, I hear Katz shouting "Mum! Dad! C'mon! Dinner's ready!"

Me and the young lion break away from each other. "Well, we'd better go." he says, and so he takes my hand in his, and we walk back to our table for a brilliant end to an amazing night.

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**Now that Lion-O has finally got his problems sorted, he is finally able to get on with the more important things with more concentration. But, when Mumm-ra decides to make the Thundercats pay for their endless victories and Leo's people are attacked, the Thundercats have to deal with the victims AND the now imprisoned Saborr the Wolfman, relationships will be tested and friendships questioned. Will everything run smoothly?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


	26. Chapter 25: Fight Song

_**A/N: This took so long because I was SO busy, so I hope that you enjoy it and I'm sorry if it seems rushed :/**_

_**Key: **_

**Flashback **_**= Flashback (Obviously)**_

**Dream = Dream**

**Time Passage =...**

_**\- (BORDER) - = perspective change**_

_**Anyway, chapter information:**_

_**Genres: Adventure and Drama**_

_**Warnings: Scenes of violence, and explicit language. **_

_**Date started (Chapter): Saturday 1**__**st**__** October 2016**_

_**Date finished (Chapter): Thursday 16**__**th**__** February 2017**_

_**Song/s: Fight Song by Rachel Platten**_

Chapter 25: Fight Song

_He's so much happier now. He doesn't wake up screaming during the night anymore, and he doesn't seem to be having nightmares anymore. It's like he's a completely different cat – the cat he was all those years ago. He has his therapy sessions and he's on a steady prescription of Prozac to help with his PTSD, anxiety and anger issues, which is..._

"What are you writing? I swear that I've seen my name written on that page about, what, a few dozen times?"

I jump and snap my diary closed as I hear Lion-O's voice from directly behind me. "How on Third Earth did you get so close behind me without me realising? I didn't hear you!" I laugh as I turn around to see the lion standing behind me, topless and wearing nothing but his shorts and boots.

"For one thing, I'm a lion – it's a trait from my ancestors." He says, and he wraps his arms around me before picking me up out of my seat, making me squeal with laughter as he carries me up to the bed and lies me down on it. I look up at him as he leans over me to kiss me, and my right hand automatically goes to the nearly healed wound on his forehead, and my left hand runs over the scar which runs down his back, parallel to his spine. I am automatically reminded of when he was brought back to the Lair that night, unconscious and dangerously close to bleeding to death...

_**I look up from feeding Katzeran as I hear voices shouting outside. "Snarf, can you stay here and look after Katz for me? Just for a minute?" I ask the little red and yellow cat, and he nods so I give him the three month old cub then hurry out into the corridor and down the stairs to see three young members hurrying into the entrance hall, carrying a limp, bloodied body...**_

"_**LION-O!" I scream, and the panicked fear automatically sets in that my husband is dead. Pumyra and Tygra rush to carry him up the stairs, and as they pass me, I see the extent of Lion-O's injuries – his back is completely sliced open, allowing me to see his spine. I follow them to the infirmary, but I'm not allowed inside. "Wh...What happened to him?" I ask Tygra as he prepares surgical utensils. "When he was in the fight, Grune cut his back open. We aren't sure about the severity of the damage yet, but he's lost a lot of blood."**_

"_**You...You can help him, can't you?" I ask nervously, and so the tiger replies with "We'll try everything that we can, Cheetara, but we can't promise anything – he's hypothermic. We'll make sure to keep you posted with any updates." he says, and then he closes the door...**_

"Cheetara, are you alright? You've gone quiet."

I come back to my senses and look up into Lion-O's bright gingery-orange eyes. "I'm fine, my love. I just had a flashback to when you were nearly killed in that fight against Grune."

He growls slightly. "I _still _can't believe I was so _stupid _to let myself go after him like that. I was such an idiot – I could have died." he snarls, looking away from me. But, I place my hands either side of his head and pull him down into a long and passionate kiss. He purrs throatily, running strands of my mane through his fingers. When he breaks away, I rub my cheek against his, making the young lion gasp then growl as I leave my mark on him. I run my fingers through his thick mane then down his chest and abdomen, the action of which makes his fur puff up and stand on end, making him look incredibly cute and fluffy. I can't help but laugh, seemingly humiliating him.

"C'mere you!" I say, and I pull him down on top of me and hug him tightly. He purrs deep in his throat, lying down on the bed next to me. "I had such a lovely night tonight." I say as we climb under the covers of the bed, holding each other close. "I have too. The food was lovely, and Katzeran was so well behaved." the young lion says as he looks at me, his eyes showing nothing but love. I can't believe that I once held him in my arms when he was just a few hours old – I was only 10 years old at the time. He holds me against his chest, and I slowly drift off to sleep.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

_**I laugh slightly as me and Cheetara walk through the snow-covered street. We'd just dropped Katzeran off at school, and now we're headed back to the Lair. "I love winter. All the snow and the markets, plus the ice-skating when the river freezes over." Cheetara says as she pulls her coat further around her before fixing her scarf back in place, but I just sigh. Sure enough, the markets and the snow are nice, but it's cold and it gets dark earlier...**_

_**I realise that Cheetara isn't following me, so I turn around to find her swaying slightly on her feet. "Cheetara? Are you ok?" I ask as I walk towards her.**_

"_**L...L...Lion-O, I don't...I don't feel very...well..." she stutters, and then to my absolute horror, my wife collapses in the snow. **_

"_**Cheetara!" I cry as I run to her and kneel by her side. She's flushed red with fever, she's sweating, and she's shivering – she's sick. As I look up, I see some Thunderians looking at us in fear, and I realise that I don't know what to do. And so, I slip my own coat off and wrap it around the unconscious cheetah before picking her up in my arms and continuing the journey to the Lair, fighting my way through the blizzard as the harsh, vicious winds buffet me from all directions. I'm so cold, but I'm more worried about the health of my wife.**_

_**It takes forever to reach the Lair, and the second I get in, I run up the main stairs towards the infirmary then throw the door open. Tygra and Pumyra come running to investigate, then the second they see me holding Cheetara in my arms, pale and shivering, they usher me into a side room, then make me go out as they care for her. One of the medical aides checks me over, but finds nothing wrong with me. And so, I anxiously wait outside of the room, hoping for an update to come soon.**_

I open my eyes slightly as my arm is rapidly shaken. "Dad? Dad, wake up!" I hear Katzeran whimpering tearfully, sounding upset about something. I sit up and see the young Litah cub standing by my side of the bed, a traumatized expression on his face.

"Katz, what's wrong?" I grumble sleepily, yawning as I turn to look at Cheetara – the cheetah is still out for the count, gently purring in her sleep.

"I...I...I ha...I had a bad dream and I...I wet myself..." he wails, and so I get out of bed then go to get him sorted out. As a matter of fact, I've been realising that he's been having frequent nightmares and has been wetting his bed a few times a week, which isn't surprising because of the fact that he was kidnapped only a few weeks ago. The poor kid's just traumatized now.

I get him back in bed, and once he's asleep again, I leave and go back to mine and Cheetara's room. I slip back into our bed and I drift off to sleep practically instantly. When I wake up, I'm alone in the bed, but I can hear the shower running. I roll onto my back and sit up, groggily rubbing my eyes as I look at the alarm clock – it's six in the morning.

"You've finally woken up then. I guess that what they say about lions is true then – the lion clan are the laziest of all Thunderian clans."

I turn to the door of the bathroom, and I see Cheetara standing in the doorway, wrapped in her towels. Her mane lies in ringlets and falls as curls down her beautiful face. "I left the shower running for you because I knew that you'd want to wash before breakfast." she says as she walks up to her wardrobe and gets her uniform out before getting dressed. I stretch then get up, trudging into the bathroom. I get showered and changed into my uniform. Fridays are always laid-back, meaning that we have time to relax once Katzeran is at school, but today is different.

We walk out of our room and I go to fetch Katzeran out of bed. He's still half asleep, so I carry him down the stairs to the dining room and sit him in his seat before sitting myself down. Snarf places plates of pancakes covered in maple syrup, sliced bananas and strawberries, blueberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream in front of us. I hungrily down my plateful, helping myself to a fair amount of fruit. I put some onto Katzeran's plate too, and he stuffs his portion down.

"I don't think that I've seen you eat like this in a long time." Cheetara laughs as I ravenously down a large slice of honeydew melon. I shrug in reply before finishing my food then getting up. "Right you," I say to Katzeran as he wipes his nose on the back of his hand "You know what time it is, don't you? Bath time!"

He groans slightly before getting out of his chair and follows me as we walk along the corridor, then up the stairs and into his room to grab his towel and a change of clothes for him. When we go into mine and Cheetara's room, I turn the bath on and put some of his bubble bath into the water. Then, I strip him off then pick the young cub before dunking him in the water. Once I've bathed him, I get him dried and dressed.

"Dad," he says as he looks at the small scar on his chest "How did I get that?"

"You've asked that question hundreds of times already, Katz!" I laugh as I brush his long golden-blonde mane, but I still tell him how it happened – when he had just learned to walk, he fell over and cut himself.

"Dad, what are we gonna do today? Can we go to the park? _PLEASE?_" Katzeran asks as we walk out of his room.

"Maybe we can go to this afternoon or in the evening because I've got something really important to do today."

Katz looks at me with intrigue. "What are you going to do?"

"Me and your Mum have to go to the city to talk about what is going to happen to the Wolfman who took you away from us for a week." I say as I ruffle his mane, making him growl at me in annoyance "I'll see if I can take you to the park after school, ok?"

"Ok, Dad." he says, and as we walk along the corridor then into the Council Chamber, I see that the other Thundercats are sat at the table. I sit in my seat and Katz worms his way onto my lap. "The trial is at eleven – we have about an hour and a half to get ready and get there. I'll be going with Sebastian, Cheetara and Pumyra – the rest of you will stay here." I say as Katzeran wriggles into my arms and cuddles me. The young Litah looks up at me with a confused expression, but I simply put it as the fact that he just doesn't understand what's going on.

**...**

_**I anxiously walk through the double doors into the room. I look up and see Cheetara and the other Thundercats – they're sat in the upper seating area. Handcuffs are locked around my wrists and I'm escorted to the front of the courtroom before being forced to my knees in front of the Judge and the jury. I'm then shackled in place, and the Sword of Omens and Claw Shield are taken from me. A pack of photographs are handed to the Judge – the same ones that I was shown when I was punished by the other Thundercats.**_

"_**So, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera, do you understand the circumstances under which you are here before us?"**_

"_**Because I killed Rataro."**_

"_**I didn't hear that, boy. Speak up!"**_

"_**BECAUSE I KILLED RATARO!" I yell, and one of the Plun-darrian guards strikes me around the head with the handle of his rife, making me roar in pain as blood trickles down my cheek.**_

"_**Learn to control your temper, boy! It won't get you very far here – you were warned that Plun-darrian trials are far more vicious than Thunderian ones! But seeing as how you know that you are here for the murder of General Rataro of the Great Plun-darrian Army, we can skip that bit. Plus, the fact that you are also known to be guilty of your crime – the crime of murder – means that we just have to discuss what happened and decide on a suitable punishment..."**_

"_**Hold it and go back a minute! It wasn't murder! I acted purely out of self-defence because he was threatening to kill my wife who was at the moment and still is pregnant!" I snap in fury, and so the guard presses a button on a remote – the electric shock courses through my body and makes every muscle seize at once, tearing a strangled roar from my constricted throat. **_

_**Once the shock is over, I look up at the judge, panting and twitching. "You will be punished severely, boy. We are forbidden from killing you, and so you will be flogged in front of an audience."**_

I look at Saborr as I enter the courtroom. He's kneeling before Lysander and is held down by unbreakable iron shackles. The second the wolf sees me, he begs and pleads for my forgiveness and mercy. "SILENCE!" I roar, shocking everyone into being quiet.

I walk up to the Wolfman as I growl "You want me to show you mercy and _forgiveness_? After you kidnapped and brutally _thrashed_ my five-year-old son? Katzeran was covered in bruises and deep cuts that nearly reached the bone when we rescued him! I'll show you mercy, but I don't know what world you're in if you think for even one second that I'll show you forgiveness for the crimes you committed against me and my family! After seeing what state my cub was in, I wanted nothing more than to hunt you down and tear you apart for what you did to him. I was set to either execute you or kill you myself in the most excruciatingly painful way possible, but Cheetara told me otherwise." I pace in front of the High Thunderian Council as I continue, "If this would have been to have happened a few hundred years ago, Saborr, you would have been executed publically. However, times have changed a lot since then. My Father, Lord Claudus, abolished capital punishment on Thundera – the last person to have been executed on Thunderian soil was General L'üffanick of the Plun-darrian Army after he failed to assassinate my brother, Leo, and me, and for his countless war crimes against the people of this planet. And, did you know that the Plun-darrian Supreme Court allowed for it to happen?"

I look Saborr in the eyes. He glares at me before saying "But what you seem to be forgetting, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats, is that if you would have been to have killed me, it wouldn't have made the slightest difference because you're a murderer! You have the blood of Lord Rataro and Grune the Destroyer on your hands. How can a noble man like you live with that? Do you not feel the weight of your sins crawling all over your back?"

"I can live with that because that isn't who I am anymore! That was in the past, and it's behind us now."

Ignoring the wolf's look of malice, I take a pack of photographs from the table and hand them to Lysander. The elderly lion takes the photos out, and I hear the gasps of horror and disbelief from the members of the High Council at the images of Katzeran after we got him back.

"I don't understand how someone could do something so cruel to such a young cub!" Lysander says in a steely tone as he glares at Saborr, whose ears lay flat on his head as it becomes clear that he's realised that he won't be getting off lightly.

"Not to mention that you sent some of your friends after us to recapture Katz and you had me shot with a tranquilizer gun four times. And then there is the fact that your original plan was to have Katzeran _skinned _so that you could have his pelt turned into a coat for your girlfriend, and you were going to have me turned into a rug. Even if you had have succeeded and had managed to turn my son into a coat, I don't think that your girlfriend would be very happy to learn that the Litah cub pelt that her coat was made from was the pelt of the Prince of New Thundera! You know, although the pelt of a Thunderian cat is a very popular choice in the fur trade, it is highly illegal and is a criminal offence to possess it with the intent to supply, or even just to simply own some. In many sectors of the galaxy, it is a crime punishable by death!" I snap, starting up a series of infuriated and disgusted vulgar shouts about the Wolfman, many of which are urging me to kill him.

I unleash a guttural roar that reverberates in the small room, and everyone present falls silent in seconds. "I'm not going to kill you, Saborr, but you'll suffer for your crimes." I say as a young member of the ThunderGuard approaches me, holding a box. He stops in front of me and opens the box, so I pull out the contents – a bullwhip. "Do you know how much it hurts to be whipped? The bullwhip can reach the speed of sound, and when you are struck with it, the gashes go down to the bone. When I went on trial before the Plun-darrian Council for killing Rataro, my punishment was to receive fifty lashes with a bullwhip, which left me with bloody lashes on my back, chest and abdomen – I was screaming for mercy before the twentieth stroke."

I pull the whip back over my head then bring it down – Saborr flinches and howls in pain as the material bites into his back, tears streaming down his cheeks. "You see?" I say as I force the wolf to look me in the eyes "Hurts, doesn't it? That's the pain that you inflicted on my son _multiple _times."

Saborr looks at me, and I can see the expression of fear and hatred. "You _deserved _the lashes for killing Rataro! He was our greatest leader ever! And you _murdered _him! You didn't deserve to _live _\- you deserved the death penalty!" he spits, and the young ThunderGuard member beats him round the back of the head with his rifle.

The trial continues for another hour, and Saborr is found guilty of treason and child abuse – as a punishment, he is sentenced to life imprisonment on the Penal Planet. As the 'Guards release Saborr from the restraints, the Wolfman beats them out of the way and charges at me as he draws a jagged-bladed dagger which he somehow concealed about his person. I don't have much time to act. I grab the Sword of Omens and pull it from the Claw Shield, just as he knocks me down. There's a sudden nagging pain as he tries to stab the dagger into my upper arm, causing me to roar in shock and pain as the blade creates a deep gash, but before he can do any serious damage by forcing it into my flesh, I wrestle it from his hands and then Sebastian tackles him. I hear a sharp canine yelp of pain from one of the wolves as they scrap on the ground.

Saborr is dragged off Sebastian and is escorted out of the room by armed ThunderGuard members, and I see that Sebastian's right ear is shredded and bloody.

I sit against the wall as Sebastian runs up to me. I throw the dagger away then place my hand over the wound with a deep growl of pain, tears trickling down my cheeks as blood trickles down my arm. "We need a medic over here!" the Wolfman shouts at the top of his voice over the horrified and concerned cries of the crowd

"Lion-O...Oh Gods of Thundera, I...I didn't know that he was going to do that!" I hear Cheetara say as she and Pumyra run up to us "Here, let me have a look." The young puma says, so I take my hand off of the wound, and her look of relief tells me that it's not severe. "It's not bad – the bleeding makes it look worse than it actually is. From the look of it, you're going to need stitches and an anti-tetanus shot to be on the safe side, but until we get back to the Lair, I'm only going to be able to bandage it."

Pumyra opens the first aid kit that one of the ThunderGuard members gives her. "I've got to clean it, so this might hurt." she says as she takes out a bottle of clear strong-smelling fluid before pouring some onto a piece of cotton wool. The second it touches the wound, it burns like hell. I growl viciously as my claws spring from my fingertips, but Cheetara reassuringly squeezes my hand as she says "It's alright, Lion-O. Just relax, ok?"

Pumyra bandages my arm, then helps me get up. As the people who came to watch the trial disperse, we walk out of the courtroom. "We've contacted the Lair and Lord Panthro is on his way here in the Thundertank." one of the ThunderGuard members says as he stops in front of us.

"Good. Have you informed Tygra about the incident? I'll need the infirmary ready." Pumyra asks, so the young Thunderian ocelot nods then walks away.

**...**

_**I try to calm myself as I am forced out into the courtyard. It's raining heavily, and the grass has been turned into a thick sludge. I nearly slip over on the cobblestones so many times and when I catch sight of the gallows, my heart starts pounding in my chest with dread, even though I know that I'm not being hung or even executed. I see the crowd entering a building, which is where we're headed. **_

_**Everyone watches as I am marched in, up onto a slightly raised platform and am shackled into a standing position. I see Cheetara and the other Thundercats standing on the floor before me, along with Rataro's family.**_

"_**Now, this isn't going to be pleasant, but it's the only method we can use that isn't classed as flat-out torture."**_

_**The clasps on my shirt are unfastened and it's taken off along with my belt. The cool air on my chest makes my fur stand on end. "I'm so sorry, Lion-O."**_

"_**Please, just get it over with!" I say and so the Judge nods. "Crime committed was the unlawful killing of General Rataro. Punishment is fifty lashes with a bullwhip."**_

_**The first strike cuts a searing wound horizontally across my chest, leaving me too stunned to speak or make a sound. I can feel my muscles tensing and my skin tingling in unnecessary anticipation of the next lash, which comes across my back in seconds. Each lash is followed by another and another in rapid succession. The pain is awful and it feels like my back and chest are on fire. I know that the liquid dribbling down my back is my own blood, but I try my best to ignore it. The next few land across my chest and abdomen – the pain is so bad that I can no longer hold in my cries and on the twentieth lash, I scream for mercy.**_

"Just sit still for me, Lion-O."

I breathe in slowly as I feel the needle piercing my skin and the anti-tetanus shot being injected into my upper arm. It didn't take Pumyra too long to stitch the wound up, but my injured arm is wrapped in a bandage, held in place by a sling around my neck.

"How long will it be until my arm is healed?" I ask as I stand up.

"Well, it could take between a fortnight and three weeks."

I sigh before walking out of the infirmary and along the corridor to the Control Room. Cheetara looks up at me as I walk in. "I'm guessing that Saborr isn't going to be getting out of prison anytime soon." I say in a glum tone as I sit down in one of the chairs.

"Well, attacking and trying to stab the King of New Thundera doesn't help much. He was immediately escorted to the Penal Planet and the sentence was decided on. He's never getting out."

I chuckle slightly then growl in pain as I move my wounded arm. "I suppose that that the news spread like wildfire, then?"

"You tell me." she says as she changes the feed on the screen to the news; it's footage of Saborr charging at and then stabbing at me with the caption of 'Crazed Plun-darrian Wolfman facing a life behind bars after attacking and trying to stab HRH King Lion-O of New Thundera and Third Earth.'

"Well, at least he was caught." I say as she gets up then walks towards me, slipping her arms over my shoulders. She kisses me on the cheek before asking "How's the arm?"

I move it gingerly. "Well, the anaesthetic wore off pretty quickly and I can't have painkillers for a few hours yet, so it's pretty sore." I look at the time – it's nearly ten past three "We'd better leave to go to Katzeran's school to collect him."

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

_**Tears trickle down my cheeks as I watch Lion-O being whipped. His torso is covered with bloody gouges, and each time the whip strikes his body, he screams in pain. I close my eyes and turn away from him to spare myself the sight of my husband's brutal punishment, my arms protectively wrapped around my swollen stomach as if in some vain attempt to prevent mine and the lion's unborn cub from knowing the horrors that I have witnessed. Every time I hear the whip crack against Lion-O's body, he screams for mercy, becoming more and more desperately pleading after each one.**_

"Mum! Dad!"

Katzeran hares towards us at an unbelievably fast speed and catapults himself against my legs, almost bowling me over. I pick him up, unable to believe how heavy my cub is. He giggles, then falls silent as he notices Lion-O's injured arm. "What happened to Dad? Why is his arm wrapped up? Did someone hurt him?" he asks, so Lion-O replies with "Yes, Katz, but it's all sorted now."

I look at the young lion and notice that he's pale and his eyes show his pain. As we walk back to the Thundertank, I look around us and notice that many of the Thunderians are looking at Lion-O and talking to each other. "Are you alright? How's your arm?" I ask the young lion as we get into the 'Tank.

Lion-O sighs before saying "It's alright, I suppose. Doesn't hurt...much."

I nudge him slightly with my elbow as I say "You _do _realize that you can't lie to me, _L'ûencho_," causing him to look at me in shock upon me calling him by his Thunderian name, "Our mated bond allows me to feel your pain."

He chuckles as I start up the Thundertank before asking "Am I that transparent?"

"Sometimes." I laugh, leaning over to kiss the young lion. He chuckles again as we kiss, then we break away from each other. I check to make sure that Katzeran is sat down in his seat, then we head off back to Cats' Lair.

_**\- (BORDER) -**_

**That Night**

"_**L...Lio...Lion-O...Help...Help me..."**_

_**My heart pounds in my chest as I run towards Cheetara. The cheetah lies on the steps of the Lair, cut and bloodied. I feel the grief and guilt welling up inside of me as I take my beloved wife in my arms, tears of emotional agony trickling down my cheeks.**_

"_**It's alright, 'Tara – I'm here. I'm here now. I've got you." I say, my throat drying up as I hold her against my chest. She looks up at me weakly, her eyes glazed, and then she goes limp. When I look up, my eyes meet those of Mumm-ra who is holding the Sword of Plun-darr, which is red with blood – the blood of my wife...**_

My eyes fly open and I'm aware of the fact that I'm tangled up in the bedding, soaked with sweat. Tears stream down my eyes as the panic sets in that what I just witnessed was reality, and so in my dazed condition, I frantically search for my mate.

"Shh Lion-O, it's ok. I'm here. Calm down. It was just a nightmare."

I feel the cheetah's arms close around my body, and I uncontrollably sob against her, slowly breathing in her scent. She holds me close to her like I'm a cub again as I tremble, and when I eventually manage to catch my breath, I weakly say "I...I for...I forgot to take my meds before we went to bed."

"I kinda guessed that," she says as I nuzzle into her thick fur. She runs her hands up and down my back, soothing me and making me relax. I start purring throatily, and eventually drift back off to sleep in my wife's arms…

"Mum? What's going on?"

"Go back to bed, Katz."

"But…Mum…"

"Just go! Lion-O! Lion-O, wake up! It's an emergency!"

I open my eyes, groggy from being hastily roused from my sleep. Confused, I look up and see Cheetara above me, fully dressed in her uniform with a look of pure urgency on her face. Katzeran is lingering in the doorway,

"What is it?"

"You're needed in the Control Room."

I sigh before getting up, getting into my uniform and clipping the Claw Shield onto my belt then slipping the Sword of Omens into it, and then we walk out of the door into the corridor, Katzeran following close behind. When we enter the Control Room, I see Bengali at the monitor. "Where are the others?" I ask the tiger, to which he responds with "We weren't going to wake them until our suspicions were confirmed. Besides, Lion-O, I think that you should have a look at this."

I walk up to the telescreen where he is rapidly typing in commands and numbers. On the display, I can see that there is a vast area of the forest which is billowing a massive plume of smoke and is glowing an eerie orange colour.

"Can you zoom in on that, Ben?" I ask as Katzeran tugs at my arm, whimpering, mewing and clamouring to be picked up.

"Sure thing, Lion-O."

The white tiger zooms in on the area as I pick mine and Cheetara's son up, but I almost drop the cub when the Sword of Omens roars in warning of danger. I tear it from the Claw Shield then hold it in front of my eyes as I command "Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!"

The crossbars curl upwards and the familiar fog fills my mind, and then what I had been fearing in the pit of my stomach is confirmed – I watch my brother collapse, overwhelmed as flames surround him from the burning hut. Then, I see Mumm-ra setting fire to the entire village.

I growl furiously as I lower the Sword. I put Katzeran down before bolting out of the door towards the hangar where the Thunderstrike is.

"Lion-O! Wait! What's wrong?"

I look at Cheetara as she catches up with me. I calm myself down just enough to be able to say "Wake the other Thundercats and have them ready for action – I want to be gone in the next five minutes!"

"Why?"

I growl again. "Leo's in danger. Mumm-ra's set fire to the Ferrals' Village – he's trapped! All of the Ferrals are!"

"Calm down, Lion-O, OK? We'll be at the village as soon as possible, alright?"

I nod, then she rushes to notify Bengali and wake the other Thundercats, but I can do nothing but worry. Leo hasn't got much time. Smoke inhalation could kill him in 15 minutes, and I want to be able to help my brother before that. All I can do now is hope and pray that it isn't going to be too late to help him by the time that we get to the Ferrals' Village.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**Next time on Thundercats:**_

_**It's a race against the clock to reach the Ferrals' Village, but will the Thundercats be able to rescue Leo in time? Now that Saborr has been punished and imprisoned for kidnapping Katzeran, everything is dealt with, but when an old friend of the Thundercats meets their untimely demise during battle, they have to travel to Third Earth to pay their respects. With the 'Cats gone, Mumm-ra decides to lay waste to New Thundera, but will he succeed with his plans?**_

_**Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!**_


End file.
